Kimi Antonelli crossed the finish line to win the United States Grand Prix in Austin on Sunday, but the loudest reaction from the Circuit of the Americas crowd wasn't for the Italian driver. It was for the two people standing near the checkered flag and the trophy podium: U.S. Senator Ted Cruz and WNBA forward Sophie Cunningham.
A Dominant Win Overshadowed by Boos
Antonelli secured his ninth Grand Prix victory of the season with a commanding performance, finishing ahead of Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen, according to Formula1.com. The race unfolded over the track's 3.42 miles south of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, and the Austin crowd cheered once Antonelli raised the trophy. But according to Chron, the warm reception didn't extend to everyone on the podium platform.
Cruz, the Republican senator from Texas, presented Antonelli's trophy during the ceremony and was met with boos from the crowd, as reported by Express.co.uk, which noted that the jeers were directed squarely at the man handing out the hardware rather than at the winning driver. Journalist Antonello Guerrera also posted a description of the moment, documenting Cruz being booed on the F1 podium.
Cunningham's Chequered-Flag Role Draws Scrutiny
Cunningham, a WNBA role player for the Indiana Fever and, per Chron's framing, something of a political lightning rod, was introduced as the waver of the black-and-white chequered flag and waved it as Antonelli crossed the finish line. The Missouri native posted an Instagram reel showing herself posing at the Circuit of the Americas in a Tecovas cowboy hat on the same day. Her presence at the ceremony prompted immediate reactions from Formula One fans, with Chron's reporting framing the moment as fans questioning why she had been chosen for the role.
The scrutiny followed months of controversy stemming from Cunningham's public comments on transgender athletes. She told reporters in July that she believed it was common sense to keep transgender athletes out of women's sports, saying, “I think it's kind of common sense,” according to nytimes.com. She added that she wanted to “protect young girls in the locker room” and that she would not back down from the position, telling the outlet, “I'll never falter in my beliefs in that.”
Months of Backlash Followed Her Into the WNBA Season
Cunningham is in her second season with the Fever after Indiana acquired her in a February 2025 trade from the Phoenix Mercury, the same report noted. Her comments have since prompted competing rallies by critics and supporters outside Fever games, and she was booed throughout Indiana's game at the Minnesota Lynx, per the same account. The Women's National Basketball Players Association weighed in as well, denouncing what it called hate, abuse and demonization of the transgender community amid the backlash.
The Austin reaction echoes a broader pattern this F1 season of podium ceremonies becoming flashpoints beyond the racing itself. George Russell faced a similarly hostile reception when he was booed on the Monza podium after the Italian Grand Prix in September, according to Crash.net, though that incident centered on the driver rather than a ceremonial guest.
For now, Antonelli's win keeps him on course for a world championship, the kind of storyline that would typically dominate headlines out of a Grand Prix weekend. Instead, the Austin race will likely be remembered as much for who stood on the podium as for who crossed the finish line first.
