Verstappen on Miami pre-race show: 'Some people like the spotlight'

Max Verstappen voiced his displeasure at the pre-race show for the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix, and hopes that the trialled format 'won't be used every time'.

Formula 1 drivers were introduced one-by-one to the crowd by American musician LL Cool J, whilst Will.I.Am led an orchestra to play his new song 'The Formula'.

Whilst similar approaches have been trialled before at the US Grand Prix in Austin, the latest attempt drew criticism from some sections of fans.

Drivers had a mixed response to the approach, with some drivers critical of the lack of preparation time, and others open to the idea of trying new pre-race formats.

The Miami GP promoters defended the changes ahead of the race, and it is believed similar efforts to tweak the pre-race build-up will be made over the course of the year at other Grands Prix.

When asked about the packed pre-race schedule and his own preparations, Verstappen said he had sufficient time to prepare for the main event, but added that Formula 1 "doesn't need" introductions at every event.

"To be honest, I did have enough preparation before, to speak to my engineers and stuff for the race. But yeah, personally, I think this is just a bit of a personality thing," Verstappen told media, including RacingNews365.com.

"Some people like to be more in the spotlight, some people don't. I personally don't. So for me, I think that, naturally, 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. So I just hope we don't have that every single time, because we have a very long season, and we don't need an entry like that every time.

"I think it also depends a bit on the crowd, 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."