Tension was in the air at the Mexico Grand Prix after local boy Sergio Perez crashed out of the race on the first lap, sparking a multi-person scrap in the stands

A man was put in a chokehold after sparking a brawl in the stands at the Mexico GP (Image: Twitter)

A massive brawl erupted in the stands during the Mexico Grand Prix leaving several supporters injured.

Punches started flying when Mexico native Sergio Perez retired from the race after colliding with Ferrari’s Charles Leclrec on lap one, leaving the home crowd dismayed. One man had to be subdued with a chokehold after climbing up the terraces and knocking down a woman while swinging at everyone in his path.

Footage of the shocking melee did the rounds on social media, with users comparing it to a fight between football hooligans. “What the hell I actually thought it was a football match until I looked at the whole frame and saw the track in the background,” one fan wrote on X.

“The footballification of F1 is in full effect,” wrote another. Others, meanwhile, joked about what the fans were actually fighting over.

“What do F1 fans even fight about? Which is 𝑠e𝑥ier? Aston Martin or Ferrari?” one person asked. Another quipped: “‘No MY driver puts his foot on the gas pedal the hardest’.” A third said: “There’s no way y’all are fighting over which car went faster.”

Several people were injured as punches flew following Sergio Perez’s retirement (Image: Twitter)

It’s understood the individuals who were attacked were Ferrari fans, possibly following an argument about the collision between Leclerc and Perez. The attacker, who was taken down with a chokehold, was ejected by security, and F1 later confirmed that he’d been given a lifetime ban.

Despite Perez’s early exit it was another solid day at the office for Red Bull. Max Verstappen clinched his 16th win of the season ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Leclerc, who was booed by fans as he stepped onto the podium.

Perez, however, refused to blame the Monegasque driver for his early exit. “I had a tremendous start, the gap was there,” he said. “I had the chance to take the lead, I went for it – I wasn’t expecting Charles to be in the middle and to brake that late. There was simply no room for three cars, it was a racing incident.

“Especially [being] at your home grand prix and two times on the podium, I wanted to give it all – and totally went for it. It’s really sad but I’m extremely proud of myself and the team. We had the best start of the year, we just went for it.”