McLaren's Pole Position Politics: Trump's Gridwalk Raises Eyebrows
May 6 - McLaren insists it is "non-political", as the Formula 1 team faces backlash for welcoming Donald Trump into its garage in Miami.
Earlier, it emerged that race organisers had blocked a businessman close to the former US president from conducting a $250,000 a head fundraiser for Trump in the paddock club.
But Trump, who is running for president again this year, was nonetheless invited to the circuit because those paying for paddock club hospitality "can invite whoever they want", according to Osterreich newspaper.
Trump then posed for photographs in the pitlane with McLaren CEO Zak Brown, was given a guided tour of the garage, and met team driver Lando Norris, Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc before the trio went onto the podium on Sunday.
"He came up to congratulate me," Norris said afterwards. "It has to be an honour for someone like this to come up to you, take time out of their life, to pay their respect for what you've done.
"He said he was my lucky charm because it's my win," the British driver added. "Donald is someone that you got to have a lot of respect for in many ways. So yeah, a cool moment."
Why McLaren? Sources believe the team was chosen because it is now fully owned by Bahrain, with RTL explaining that the Kingdom is "closely linked" to the US militarily.
On social media, many F1 fans slammed McLaren for getting involved in divisive US politics.
The team responded: "McLaren is a non-political organisation, however we recognise and respect the office of president of the United States so when the request was made to visit our garage on race day we accepted alongside the president of the FIA and the CEOs of Liberty Media and Formula 1.
"We were honoured that McLaren was chosen as the representative of F1 which gave us the opportunity to showcase the world class engineering that we bring to motorsport," the Woking based team added.
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Lando! What are you saying? I had a lot of respect for you but "Donald is someone that you got to have a lot of respect for in many ways." WOW!!!
So you don't think the former POTUS who lives just down the road from the track s/b permitted to attend the race, visit the paddock and interact with F1 officials and team members? You're a mental midget. GFY and your cancel culture mentality.
Personally I reckon McClaren were chosen so that Donald could stand by their signage and blend in with his orange face!
I think you do have to respect him in many ways, who else could get away with being such an arse, disrespecting women and minorities and still have a huge voting block amoungst those very people!?
You have to play the political game no matter what industry you're in and F1 is a very political sport.
You have to play the political game no matter what industry you're in and F1 is a very political sport.
Totally agree, being able to play the game is, these days a part of F1
I don't think Verstappen would have said the same things...
Did you see/read the post-race press conference? Hahaha, If my mother...
Apparently Lulu has complained about that joke to the Fia,
Heh man,not cool,not cool man at all
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