It is safe to say that Max Verstappen is the youngest old-school driver in Formula 1. Ever since Liberty Media took over F1, the new owners have been making changes to the sport to make it more entertaining for the viewers. But clearly, the 2x champion is not happy with it – We all know who has been the most vocal opponent of the weekend sprint format since its introduction in 2021. This time, a new tweak in the form of a ‘driver introduction ceremony’ in the Miami Grand Prix, and again it didn’t go down well with the Dutchman. 

Before the race, each driver walked out to an introduction from L.L Cool J, while Will.I.Am led an orchestra that performed his and Lil Wayne’s new F1-inspired song ‘The Formula’. At last, when the Championship leader Max Verstappen was presented, he didn’t receive the friendliest response from the crowd. As he arrived, he was subjected to a section of the audience loudly booing him. However, the Red Bull driver seemed unaffected and went on to win the race as he sliced through the field with ease. But the jeers from the crowd continued and were seemingly more when on the podium.

Asked if it had any effect, Verstappen reckoned he was only a target because of his success. He said ‘It’s absolutely fine if I am standing on top’, but he was not really fine with the new pre-race procedure. Speaking about the same, the Miami Grand Prix winner said, “Whether or not you like these kinds of shows is personal. Some people like to be in the spotlight, some don’t. I personally don’t like it.”

“What they’re doing isn’t necessary. I’d rather talk to my engineers, walk to my car, put on my helmet, and hit the track. But of course I also understand the fun part. I hope we don’t experience this every time because the season is so long, so we don’t need an introduction like this every time.”

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But this time it’s not just the Dutchman who is unhappy with the new tweaks.

F1 paddock divided over the all-new Driver Introduction Ceremony 

Unlike Max Verstappen, all the other drivers received a warm reception from fans. But they were not particularly won over by the idea, as they thought the introduction ceremony was a step too far in pre-race showbiz. It was pretty clear that most drivers hated this just by looking at their faces and demeanor as LL Cool J called out their names. The maximum support the drivers could show was by accepting that it was a relatively harmless gesture for fans, even though they’d rather just be talking to their engineers in those minutes.

While Mercedes driver George Russell thought it was distracting, and said, “It is distracting because we were on the grid for half an hour in our overalls in the sun and I don’t think there is any other sport in the world where 30 minutes before you go out to do your business that you are out there in the sun, all the cameras on you, making a bit of a show of it.”

Like many other drivers Fernando Alonso thought it is taking away their time to prepare for the race, and said: “If we have to do it, I think we need to remove some of the other stuff we are doing like the parade lap or something like that because it is really in the middle of the preparations and the strategy meeting.”

On the other hand, Lewis Hamilton was the only driver who fully supported the idea, and said, “I think it is cool that the sport is continuously growing and evolving and not just doing the same stuff that they’ve done in the past. They are trying new things; they are trying to improve the show and I am in full support of it. I grew up listening to LL Cool J and he was there, that was cool, and then you look over and you’ve got Will.i.am. who is an incredible artist. You’ve got Serena and Venus [Williams] standing there. I thought it was cool, no issue from me.”

Despite knowing the divided opinion over the matter, F1 has decided to host similar tailor-made driver introduction events in the future. They’re ready to speak to drivers about how the format can be modified so it serves both them and their fans better.

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What do you think about the new driver introduction ceremony? Let us know in the comments section below.