U.S. Senator Ted Cruz received a frosty reception from some at Formula 1’s U.S. Grand Prix on Sunday, as boos heralded his approach to the podium for the presentation ceremonny at the end of the race.
The disapproval was audible in mainstream and social media video coverage just before the Republican handed 20-year-old Italian driver Kimi Antonelli with the winner’s trophy at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas.
“Midterms are coming up. People are already voting with their voice,” said a Sky Sports commentator, explaining the boos for viewers in U.K. TV footage.
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Cruz handed out trophies to the top three racers, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and winner Antonelli, who is just two points from taking the Formula 1 World Championship title for 2026.
After Cruz handed over the trophy to Antonelli, the crowd erupted into applause and cheers for the race winner. The senator said later he had enjoyed “an incredible day.”
Newsweek reached out to Cruz’s office via email for comment.
Austin Makes Feelings For Cruz Clear
Cruz is not up for election in the upcoming midterms, but has endorsed Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton in his race against the Democratic nominee James Talarico. In September, Cruz said on his podcast that Talarico “would be the most woke left‑wing senator the country has ever seen,” and would model himself after Bernie Sanders.
Notably, in the 2024 Senate election won by Cruz, Austin’s core Travis County did not vote for him overall. It voted 70.37 percent for Democrat Colin Allred, with just 27.19 percent of the vote going to Cruz.
However, Cruz performed well in rural Texas, and statewide won reelection with around 53.1 percent versus 44.5 percent for Allred.
After the event on Sunday, Cruz said on social media that he had an “incredible day” with daughter Caroline, adding that, “The eyes of the racing world were on Texas. Congrats to Kimi Antonelli on a huge win. It was an honor to present the championship trophy.”
The reception was a marked contrast to that received by President Trump in May 2024 when he attended the Miami Grand Prix and was met with cheers and applause.
This is not the first time that Cruz has faced an unwelcoming reception in recent months. In September, Cruz was booed so loudly during an interview on ESPN’s College GameDay that he could barely be heard.
Crowds booed and chanted “Ted you suck” as the Senator tried to promote the “Protect College Sports Act,” his bill that seeks to create national rules governing college athletics.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Matthew Cannon and Trevor Davies.