“You’re not going to see drivers running on through dry ice at Silverstone,” Red Bull team principal Christian Horner pointed out, referencing the location of the British Grand Prix. That may be especially true in the United States, a huge, emerging market that does treat sports differently than other countries. Just like any professional sport, F1 is a business that needs to cater to fans. “They’re trying new things, they’re trying to improve the show always, and I’m in full support of it.” ‘We just need to find a balance’ “It’s cool that the sport is continuously growing and evolving, and they’re not just doing the same thing they’ve done in the past,” said Lewis Hamilton (whom LL Cool J called “royalty”). William’s Alex Albon put a humorous point on the issue: “It’s OK. “We’re here (to) focus on doing the job and not just be in front of a camera all day,” he said. The McLaren driver also pointed out just how much publicity and fan engagement F1 drivers do week in, week out - and that there are limits. (Mario Renzi – Formula 1 via Getty Images) George Russell called the procedures - including his introduction as “another British hotshot” - distracting. “But it’s not for us at the end of the day.” “None of the drivers like it,” Lando Norris said. These pre-race procedures happen during drivers’ strategy meetings and race preparation, and especially given the heat, it could have affected their focus. But some drivers started questioning the hullabaloo as early as Friday. The spectacle may have been enjoyable for the Miami fans. The singing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” followed, after which the drivers got to racing. For Carlos Sainz, the emcee referenced his nickname: “This Spanish superstar had his first win in 2022 driving for Ferrari, and he’s famous as a smooth operator on the track.” Pierre Gasly was “a French racer with a French team ” Esteban Ocon was “childhood friends with Pierre Gasly, turned rivals turned teammates.” And so on. It’s the fearless Japanese F1 superstar,” LL Cool J said about Yuki Tsunoda. “He might be small in stature, but he’s a mighty racer. Some 20 minutes before the scheduled race start, will.i.am conducted an orchestra performing his new song, “The Formula,” as rapper and actor LL Cool J introduced the drivers one by one with a mixture of hype and cringe.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |