Texas Senator Ted Cruz’s appearance at United States GP podium ceremony leads to loud boos from fans

Texas Senator and Chief of the Senate Commerce Committee Ted Cruz appeared on the podium for Formula 1's United States Grand Prix in Austin.

Cruz has been an elected member of the United States Senate from Texas since 2013, but likely did not get the reception he expected when he appeared on the podium to hand out the trophies to the top-three drivers at the 2026 U.S. GP.

As Cruz handed trophies to Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, and Kimi Antonelli, the crowd at Austin let their feelings on their elected Senator know.

Ted Cruz receives heavy boos at Formula 1 appearance in Texas

As Cruz appeared on the F1 podium stage, the crowd very audibly started booing, even continuing the boos when race-winner Antonelli lifted up the trophy handed to him by Cruz. F1 commentator James Crofty acknowledged the boos on the broadcast as well.

"People are already voting with their voice."

Cruz is not up for election in 2026, but has endorsed Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton in his race against the Democratic nominee James Talarico.

The last election Cruz ran in was the 2024 race for the Class I Senate seat in Texas, winning over Democratic nominee Colin Alfred.

Notably, Austin, where the 2026 United States GP was held, gave 70% of its votes to Alfred in that race, with Cruz receiving just 27.16% of the popular vote in the city. He has previously been unpopular in Austin, so it should not be surprising to see the fans here react this way to Cruz.

Cruz's appearance at the 2026 U.S. GP is not a rare occurrence for an American politician. Most notably, Donald Trump attended the 2024 Miami Grand Prix, albeit before winning the 2024 U.S. Presidential election.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has attended multiple Miami Grand Prix events since the race's addition to the F1 calendar in 2024. Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick also attended the U.S. GP in Austin.