Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen won this year’s Miami Grand Prix in a superior manner, but was not only cheered by the local audience. During the ceremonial presentation on the starting grid and later on the podium, the Red Bull driver was met with boos.
When asked if this had any effect on him, Verstappen declined. He says he’s only a target because of his success: “I think if I’m behind nobody’s going to react at all, right? That’s normal when you win and they don’t like who’s winning.”
“So that’s something for me that’s absolutely fine as long as I’m at the top. That’s the most important thing for me. I take the trophy home and people go home and they can have a nice evening. “
A pompous pre-show was planned for the second edition of the race at the Miami International Autodrome, in which all 20 drivers were introduced individually. As the world championship leader, Verstappen was the last to be called up. For many drivers, however, the new procedure was anything but good.
In public, Verstappen was one of the less critical drivers. While the Dutchman admitted he prefers to stay out of the spotlight, he acknowledged the entertainment value of the ceremony.
He didn’t feel disturbed by this in his race preparation: “To be honest, I had enough preparation beforehand to talk to my engineers.”
“But I guess that’s a personal thing, right? Some people like being in the spotlight, some don’t. Personally, I don’t like it. And it’s not really necessary. I prefer to just hang out with my engineers talk, go to my car, put the helmet on and drive.”
“But of course I understand the entertainment value. I just hope that we don’t have to experience something like this every time, because the season is very long and we don’t need an appearance like this every time,” the reigning world champion points out.
Runner-up Sergio Perez was among the most popular drivers when he was unveiled at the pre-race ceremony. The Mexican said: “Well, I want to thank the fans for their support. I’ve had so much encouragement and I really wanted the win, it would have meant a lot to me.”