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Drivers unimpressed by pre-race ceremony

NEWS STORY
09/05/2023

Verstappen, Perez and Alonso as unimpressed by the pre-race show as the rest of us.

If the results are turning out to be a little too predictable this season, so too was the reaction to the change to the pre-race format.

Not having learned its lesson from the 2017 cringe-fest, when boxing announcer, Michael Buffer introduced the drivers ahead of the United States Grand Prix at COTA, FOM opted to take things a little further in the year that the US hosts three races for the first time since the 80s.

Almost half-an-hour before the race, the drivers were individually introduced to the crowd by rapper LL Cool J, while Will.I.Am (James Adams Jr), sporting a black ensemble adorned in sponsor logos pretended to conduct an orchestra, all to the accompaniment of a group of spandex attired, pom-pom waving cheerleaders.

Yes, it was as bad as it sounds.

Speaking after the race, the three podium finishers were not too impressed with the new format, not so much for the naffness of it all but the fact that it takes up crucial time when they should be preparing for the race ahead.

"To be honest, I did have enough preparation before, to speak to my engineers and stuff for the race," said Max Verstappen. "But, personally, I think this is just a bit of a personality thing, right?

"Some people like to be more in the spotlight, some people don't," he added. "I personally don't. So for me, I think that naturally, of course, what they did today is not necessary. I prefer to just talk to my engineers, walk to my car, put the helmet on and drive.

"But of course, I understand the entertainment value...

"I just hope, of course, we don't have that every single time, because we have a very long season, so we don't need an entry like that every time. But it also depends a bit on the crowd, I think, in terms of what you want in terms of entertainment. So yeah, I think it's just a personal preference as well from the drivers. For me personally not."

"I think as long as we don't do it on too many occasions, I think it's nice to do it once for the crowd," added Sergio Perez, who was handed a reprimand for his late arrival at the parade, "but we also have to be very respectful of the drivers, that we need our own time to get ready. It's just minutes before the race start and I think as long as this doesn't happen very often, it's OK."

"I understand the point of view of everybody," agreed Fernando Alonso, "but I'm not a big fan of those kinds of things just before the race.

"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's really in the middle of the preparation with the engineers and the strategy meeting.

"And I disagree a little bit if we do it, we have to do it everywhere because I don't think that the Miami fans are better than the Italian fans in Imola or in Spain or in Mexico or in Japan. I think we need to make everyone with the same rules and the same show before the race."

The podium finishers weren't the only drivers unimpressed with the ceremony, which was the subject of much discussion at the drivers' briefing on Friday.

"It's the show," said Alex Albon, "we're in the show business now", while Lando Norris admitted that "none of the drivers like it, but it's not for us at the end of the day."

"It's distracting because, you know, we were on the grid for half an hour in all of our overalls in the sun," said George Russell. "I don't think there's any other sports in the world that thirty minutes before you go out to do your business that you're out there in the sun, all the cameras on you, and making a bit of a show of it.

"We spoke about it as drivers on Friday night," he added. "Everybody's got different personalities. I guess it's the American way of doing things, doing sport. "Personally, it's probably not for me. But you know, that's just my personal opinion."

"They are trying new things," argued Lewis Hamilton, 2they're trying to improve the show always, and I'm in full support of it.

"Geez, I grew up listening to LL Cool J, and LL Cool J was there," he grinned. "That's cool. You look over, you've got Will.I.Am who's an incredible artist. You've got Serena and Venus standing there. I thought it was cool."

Check out our Sunday gallery from Miami here.

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READERS COMMENTS

 

1. Posted by kenji, 11/05/2023 0:29

"@ian-w...Let's all be thankful for small mercies as otherwise we could be plagued with an endless stream of cheesy epithets...like 'I'm proud etc etc etc. I loves you'all' etc etc etc."

Rating: Positive (2)     Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

2. Posted by ian_w, 10/05/2023 8:43

"Of course, it's also rather amusing that the one guy who liked the event is also the one guy who does not do prerace grid interviews."

Rating: Positive (2)     Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

3. Posted by ian_w, 10/05/2023 8:33

"@Editor, I meant, just read the starting grid, no hype, and no giggling ;)."

Rating: Neutral (0)     Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

4. Posted by Editor, 10/05/2023 8:23

"@ ian_w

Agreed... after several years Johnny Herbert was still saying Ler Klerk

When you say "Crofy style", do you mean shouting or giggling... honestly, I have never heard another man actually giggle."

Rating: Neutral (0)     Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

5. Posted by ian_w, 10/05/2023 8:16

"I definitely would not want to see this again, but I was impressed that LL Cool J pronounced everyone's name properly and each blurb succinct, and unexagerated. It could have been much worse.

If they are going to go with this, then do the driver introductions leading into the driver parade, not the race. If they must, just go with a named intro of the starting grid with no blurb, just position and name, Crofty style. Be done in under 90 secs
"

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6. Posted by Editor, 10/05/2023 6:57

"@ Defiant

In all honesty, I had to go back again to see if it was as bad as I'd imagined it.

In all honesty, it was worse."

Rating: Positive (1)     Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

7. Posted by Defiant, 10/05/2023 0:32

"@ Ed. Again????? Why would you self flagellate like that?????

Surely that would be like doing your own root canal."

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8. Posted by Editor, 09/05/2023 12:30

"Just watched it again, and it doesn't get any better... neither the 'ceremony' or the 'singing' of the national anthem."

Rating: Positive (1)     Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

9. Posted by Dirt, 09/05/2023 0:28

"As an F1TV subscriber I didn't have to watch any of the subject "entertainment." If you're willing to forego live coverage (Admittedly easy for me in the USA) the yearly streaming price is not horrible. Much, much less than the available US Cable TV live coverage options."

Rating: Positive (1)     Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

10. Posted by LiamIII, 08/05/2023 15:45

"Golf reference? (hard to tell from over here in the rapidly declining US of A) I usually start strong on the golf course but by the time I'm done drinking, I mean playing, I might qualify as a duffer... :) Haven't broken any windows in years. Just so sad for my beloved F1, its gone. "

Rating: Positive (1)     Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

11. Posted by Editor, 08/05/2023 15:37

"@ LiamIII and meatball

Misnaming Buffer as Duffer was a mixture of brain fade and typo.

Then again, Duffer does have certain connotations here in the UK, for those of a certain vintage.

Naff then, naff yesterday.
"

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12. Posted by meatball, 08/05/2023 15:30

"@LiamIII there's Michael Buffer - Veteran Boxing announcer and younger brother, Bruce Buffer - UFC announcer... The Google says it was the elder, Michael that did the yelling in 2017.

Not sure who this Michael DUFFER character is... "

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13. Posted by LiamIII, 08/05/2023 14:12

"Editor- Bruce Anthony Buffer is an American professional mixed martial arts ring announcer and the official octagon announcer for Ultimate Fighting Championship events, introduced on broadcasts as the "Veteran Voice of the Octagon". Buffer's catchphrase is "It's time!", which he announces before the main event of the UFC.

Besides that, yep- gross, the entire thing is just nauseating. Glad to have missed every second of it since the over air channel it was broadcast on was unavailable to me. Thanks again ESPN, you piece of $H^! screw you and your woke A$$ Disney counterparts."

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14. Posted by Wokingchap, 08/05/2023 13:00

"It was crap but I did like the posing cheerleaders!"

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15. Posted by Chester, 08/05/2023 12:35

"On the very bright side, grid girls were there and I was glad to see them- as I have also been glad to see the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders at COTA for many years. "

Rating: Positive (3)     Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

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