Remember what happened at the Miami GP this year? The drivers had to participate in an introductory showcase throughout which they had to stand in the heat. Did I mention this was right before the race? Before they had to sit inside their pre-heated cars and race in Miami’s heat? It was a “distraction.” Almost every driver had the same thing to say. Six months ago, the Miami GP introductions were distracting for drivers. Now, during the inaugural Las Vegas GP Opening Ceremony, something else distracted fans from what should’ve been the focus. It was all to do with singer J Balvin and his outfit.

F1 has returned to Sin City after four decades to a completely new track and atmosphere. Everything now is more extravagant, and Vegas being Vegas, it called for a star-studded ceremony. As the entertainment capital of the world, how could Vegas and F1 have passed up the opportunity to get a few of the biggest names in the music industry to perform? From Kylie Minogue, John Legend, and J Balvin to Will.i.am, Thirty Seconds to Mars, and Steve Aoki. They were all there, dressed to impress. Well, everyone other than J Balvin.

Before getting to what J Balvin wore, this is how the Las Vegas GP Opening Ceremony played out: it was a light-and-sound show, flaunting the new circuit. One after the other, performers took the stage, sang their sets, and passed the baton to the next. Finally, all the drivers were introduced, not to mention in Hunger Games fashion. In the words of Max Verstappen, “99% show and 1% sporting event. For me, you can skip these kinds of things. It’s just standing up there, you look like a clown.” 

As averse as Verstappen was to the ceremony, fans rivaled his averseness when it came to J Balvin’s outfit. As the Colombian singer made his appearance, belting out Dientes, it was his fluorescent orange outfit that was the highlight (pun intended). Watching him sport an oversized orange overcoat with white stripes and a matching pair of pants, fans couldn’t help but troll him for it on YouTube.

J “F1 Marshall” Balvin stole the troll show at the Las Vegas GP

There were a lot of things about the Las Vegas GP Opening Ceremony that fans weren’t a fan of. They didn’t like the fact that it had nothing to do with F1 and everything to do with entertainment. Needless to say, F1: The Organization got trolled left, right, and center, with many fans even calling it “ridiculous.” But J Balvin gave F1 company in troll reception with his outfit.

“Who is this guy? Builders Got Talent TV show? Did they find him in the car park?” wrote one fan. Absolutely brutal. The car park and builders themes are something almost everyone clung to. 

“Construction worker XXL,” wrote another. Construction workers usually wear fluorescent gear, and J Balvin’s outfit looked like something straight out of a construction sight. Just really big in size.

What else is orange and white? A traffic cone. “They even got a traffic cone to perform.”

Another fan jumped on the bandwagon and trolled J Balvin even more, writing, “When I grow up I want to be a traffic cone 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣”

Since this is F1 we’re dealing with, a crucial part of every race weekend is track marshals. Since they often have to come out on track and help clear it after incidents, they wear bright, fluorescent uniforms as well. “YOOO THIS F1 MARSHALL IS GUDDD🔥🔥🔥”

Well, at least they liked J Balvin’s music. That’s something, isn’t it? The trolls didn’t stop there, though. What’s another thing that’s naturally orange with white stripes? Here’s another hint: it lives in water, and there’s a Disney movie on it, too. Still guessing? “Finding Nemo.” A fan thought J Balvin resembled Nemo, a clownfish! Surprisingly, they weren’t the only ones. “We found NEMOOOO,” wrote another fan.

WATCH THIS STORY | George Russell Dismisses Miami GP Introductory Shenanigans as a Distraction

What did you think of the outfit J Balvin wore for the Las Vegas GP Opening Ceremony?