Sophie Cunningham came to Austin for her first Formula 1 race and left with a message that reached well beyond the track.<\/p>\n
The Indiana Fever guard served as the ceremonial checkered-flag waver at Sunday\u2019s United States Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas. <\/a>Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli won the race, but Cunningham\u2019s most memorable moment came in an interview when she was asked what she would tell a girl who doesn\u2019t feel confident about her height.<\/p>\n \u201cSimply be you,\u201d Cunningham said. \u201cWhatever makes us different, like that\u2019s why God made us that way. So, embrace it.\u201d<\/p>\n Sophie on Tour\u2026 Welcome to Texas! https:\/\/t.co\/s0TBK5ok0o<\/p>\n \u2014 Sophie Cunningham FAN CLUB (@SophieC_FanClub) October 25, 2026<\/a>Cunningham in spotlight<\/p>\n It was a direct answer, and a personal one. Cunningham spoke about feeling uncomfortable in photos in the past, then urged women not to let other people\u2019s expectations dictate how they present themselves. Her point wasn\u2019t that confidence comes easily or that every insecurity disappears with a slogan. It was that the features someone may wish to hide can also be part of what makes them distinctive.<\/p>\n That message gave Cunningham\u2019s first F1 visit a little more meaning than a celebrity appearance. She said she was new to Formula 1 and more accustomed to NASCAR, but was enjoying the experience in Austin. She also represented Western-wear brand Tecovas during the weekend.<\/p>\n For Cunningham, though, the conversation turned to something more familiar than racing: the pressure women can feel to fit a particular image. Her advice was to stop treating difference as something that needs fixing.<\/p>\n \u201c My message never changes because this is why we are the way we are,\u201d Cunningham said. <\/a>\u201cSimply be you.\u201d<\/p>\n