The trophy presentation at Austin’s F1 race delivered an uncomfortable moment for Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. His appearance on the podium drew boos disapproval from spectators. The reaction shifted when Italian driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli stepped forward to receive the winner’s prize.
Ted Cruz booed while presenting Andrea Kimi Antonelli with the US Grand Prix trophy
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz attended Sunday’s U.S. Grand Prix to present Antonelli with the first-place trophy, following the event’s official presentation procedure. But footage circulating online captured spectators booing the Republican senator as he approached the stage and continued until he handed over the prize. Once Antonelli took possession of the trophy, the crowd broke into applause. Cruz then appeared to step aside as attention turned to the victorious driver (via The Daily Beast).
The moment quickly spread beyond the racetrack, with viewers sharing clips and reacting to the contrast between the reception Cruz received and the cheers that followed Antonelli’s win.
Journalist Antonello Guerrera of Italian newspaper la Repubblica highlighted the scene in a post on X (formerly Twitter), describing the senator’s reception as “embarrassing.” Other users shared their own footage, with one attendee claiming the crowd had booed Cruz intensely. Another user posted, “Serves him right. Ted Cruz roundly booed at US Grand Prix.”
The event has become a heavyweight attraction for American motorsports fans. ESPN reported that the Texas race attracted an unprecedented 1.5 million viewers last year. As for Cruz, he is no stranger to getting an icy reception from sports crowds.
In September, he joined ESPN’s College GameDay to talk about proposed legislation affecting college athletics. Rece Davis led the interview at a football gathering at the University of Texas at Austin, but the audience’s jeers repeatedly drowned out the exchange, leaving Cruz struggling to get his message across.
Kimi Antonelli took the top spot at the 2026 U.S. Grand Prix, leaving Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) to finish runner-up and Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) to round out the podium in third.
