For the second round in Miami, the pregame procedure was modified.

All 20 riders were presented to the crowd via a makeshift gantry on the main straight, accompanied by an introduction by American rapper LL Cool J.

Plus: How Verstappen won the Miami GP

Red Bull driver Verstappen was last to start the points leader, and his arrival was met with mixed reception, including some boos from the stands.

In the race, he started from 9th and passed his pole position teammate Sergio Perez to win by 5.4 seconds. Then, he seemed to receive even more jeers on the podium.

Asked if that had any effect, Verstappen suggested he was only being targeted because of his success.

He said: “I think if I was driving behind, nobody would do anything in terms of reaction, right? When you win, they don’t like who wins, that’s normal.

“So, it’s absolutely fine for me, as long as I’m at the top. For me, that’s the most important thing.

“I bring home the trophy and they go home and they can have a good night.”

In public, Verstappen is one of the less important drivers when it comes to evaluating the enhanced grid procedure, a format that will be occasionally reused by F1 owner Liberty Media.

Verstappen expressed his preference to stay out of the spotlight, but acknowledged the value of the ceremony’s “entertainment”.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB19, 1st, arrives at Parc Ferme

Photography: Steven Tee / motorsport pictures

He said: “Honestly, I did prepare enough before talking to my engineers and race people.

“But personally, I think it’s just a personality thing, right? Some people like to be in the spotlight more, some people don’t. I personally don’t.

“What they did was unnecessary. I prefer to just talk to my engineer, walk up to my car, put my helmet on and drive.

“But, of course, I understand the entertainment value. I just hope we don’t have to do it every time because we have a long season so we don’t need to do it every time.”

Meanwhile, runner-up Perez was one of the favorites when he made his debut as part of the pre-race grid. Of the flamboyant entry, the Mexican said: “Well, I just want to thank (the fans) for all the support.

“The support they’ve given me, and I really want to win, means a lot to me.”