The tifosi came for engines and adrenaline. For a few minutes, they got a concert instead.
As the tension built before lights out at Monza, Formula 1’s pre-race coverage on Sky Sports F1 abruptly stepped away from garages, grid walks and strategy talk. In its place: a full musical set from Laura Pausini, beamed live from a stage at the Italian Grand Prix.
F1’s “Grid Gigs” were back.
Music on the grid, debate in the living room
Pausini, a Grammy Award-winning Italian star and the only Italian artist ever to win one, delivered a two-song performance with a live band, singing in Italian and Spanish. Fans in the grandstands saw the show from the circuit. Viewers at home saw it too — every second of it.
Sky’s coverage paused its usual pre-race rhythm to carry both songs in full before presenters and pundits reappeared to resume the build-up. That editorial choice lit up social media almost as quickly as the start lights.
Some viewers loved it. One fan called for Grid Gigs to become a permanent part of race day, describing Pausini’s performance as “absolutely brilliant” and saying they “thoroughly enjoyed it”. Another admitted they had been unconvinced by previous editions of the concept, but said this show “can persuade me”.
The reaction was anything but unanimous.
“Was Sky F1 forced to show this?”
For a significant chunk of the audience, cutting away from the core pre-race coverage crossed a line. One fan wrote that if Grid Gigs are going to be a regular feature, they might “have to rethink” when they start tuning in. Another asked bluntly: “Was Sky F1 forced to show this?”
That suspicion popped up repeatedly. “Have FOM forced Sky F1 to show this Grid Gigs thing, I wonder?” another viewer asked, adding they were “pretty sure” the broadcaster had not shown it in the past.
The criticism was not only about airtime. Some simply did not enjoy the show. On social platforms, a number of fans labelled the performance “embarrassing” and “drivel”. Others pushed back, calling it “amazing” and “emotional”.
The split cut straight through the fanbase: those who see F1 as a pure sporting event, and those who are more open to the sport leaning into entertainment and spectacle.
F1’s growing concert culture
This was not Pausini’s first brush with a global sporting audience this year. Earlier in the summer she appeared at the World Cup final in New Jersey, sharing the stage with Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger as they performed their ‘FIFA Anthem’, Desire, to millions watching around the world.
For F1, Grid Gigs are still a relatively new experiment.
The concept debuted in Austin last year, where country singer Drake Milligan performed before the United States Grand Prix. It reappeared in Las Vegas with former One Direction star Louis Tomlinson on the mic. In May, Colombian singer-songwriter Manuel Turizo fronted the show when the series rolled into Miami.
Monza’s edition was billed by F1 as its “biggest ever” Grid Gigs show, with Pausini the headline act in front of a home crowd. The series’ announcement confirmed the performance would be live-streamed across F1’s social media platforms. It did not, however, mention anything about television rights holders being expected to broadcast the full concert as part of their race coverage.
That gap in communication is exactly where Sunday’s frustration has flared.
Where does the line sit for F1 fans?
The Italian Grand Prix delivered packed grandstands, a title fight simmering in the background and the usual Monza theatre. Against that backdrop, F1 is clearly determined to frame race day as a wider entertainment product, not just a two-hour sporting contest.
For some, Pausini’s set was a fitting, high-profile show at the Temple of Speed. For others, it was an unwelcome interruption to the most intense, information-rich part of the broadcast.
Grid Gigs are growing, the stages are getting bigger, and the names more famous. The question now is simple: how much show do fans want before the lights go out?
