Button said: “It looked like Sainz went for a move that was late. He realised that it was too late and that Kimi had turned in. He tried to brake out of it, locked up and that’s what drove him into the side of Kimi.”

Earlier in the race, Sainz had managed to overtake Haas driver Oliver Bearman successfully. After Sainz was forced to retire on lap six as a result of his collision, the Spaniard was found to be liable for the crash and was hit with a five-place grid penalty for the Mexican Grand Prix.

Talking about the overtake, Patrick said he made the wrong decision to overtake in that zone. She said: “Not the best spot to go. When you make a move in an unusual place, then you get an unusual result.”

As she began to finish her point, Button turned towards the camera and made a slight smile. At the time, Patrick was not looking at the racing legend and more than likely did not notice the gesture. 

It’s not the first time Button has made such a gesture. At the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix in 2023, he pulled a similar expression while she was speaking, making eye contact with the camera and smirking. 

The pair have known each other for nearly 30 years, as their friendship goes back to when she was 16 and Button was 21. Speaking about the early meetings as young racers, Patrick once recalled: “I met Lewis Hamilton at Jenson’s 21st birthday party. 

“By which time Jenson was already an F1 driver.  We were a brat pack of friends, he and a few other drivers. Button’s a nice guy. I was happy to see him win last year.”

Patrick first made her Sky Sports debut at the 2021 United States Grand Prix. She has since been a regular for the broadcaster, working closely with Button on their F1 coverage.