“U.S. Fans Don’t Take F1 Seriously”: Amid Lewis Hamilton & Co.’s Predicted Spectacle, F1 Purists Call Out Unnecessary Miami GP Show

Before stepping into their cars and hitting the tarmac, drivers like to be in the zone. No distractions, perhaps some stretching, some hype music, or total silence. Basically, anything to keep them concentrated. That won’t happen at the Miami GP, apparently, as the FIA has issued an order to every team to send their drivers for a ceremony. Fans certainly did not like that order and slammed the ruling body and the organizers for it. Some even blamed the US F1 audience for being the reason behind it.

The Miami GP weekend is going pretty smoothly until now. All practice sessions and the qualifying went flawlessly without any glitches or stoppages. The crashes were handled professionally and swiftly. However, the decision to introduce drivers right before the race, one by one, is certainly one that makes no sense. Surely the fans present at the circuit know who they have come to witness, right?

FIA comes under fire for its ‘dictatorial’ order involving F1 drivers

The USA has a rich sporting culture and also a reputation for turning sporting events into grand spectacles. The Miami GP will be no different, as the FIA has issued an order for the drivers to be present for an introduction ceremony. They will come out in batches, as per their standing on the points table. The ceremony will be followed by the national anthem that will conclude the pre-race activities.

As a copy of the order surfaced online, fans expressed their anger, highlighting how important it is for drivers to stay concentrated before getting in the car. Some even found it to be grossly offensive, equating their condition to animals put for display at zoos.

Take a look at some reactions from Twitter to the order.

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A part of the order read, “Failure to comply with these procedures will be reported to the Stewards.” That too irked some fans who found the order to be dictatorial.

Some fans decided to skip the ceremony altogether and tune in only for the race.

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Do you think drivers, or teams, will oppose the order? If they were to do it, will the FIA scrap its plans to hold such useless ceremonies?