The battle for the Formula 1 world title in 2026 seems to be getting closer to its conclusion, but fans have found a new way to draw attention to the championship. Instead of focusing solely on the fight on the track, some supporters have organized a campaign on social networks with the aim of having Lance Stroll elected as “Driver of the Day“ in the upcoming Mexican Grand Prix, regardless of his performance.
Kimi Antonelli is one step away from a historic achievement, as he could become the youngest Formula 1 world champion. According to information, the Italian needs only two points in Mexico to guarantee his title. Meanwhile, Mercedes is also close to a triumph in the constructors' championship.
Against this backdrop, the attention of some fans has turned to the “Driver of the Day“ poll, in which viewers vote online for the driver who made the strongest impression during the race. At the same time, the battle for second place in the general classification continues to be contested, with George Russell, Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris among the contenders.
Leclerc won the last vote in the USA, after finishing second in Austin ahead of Verstappen. Now, however, calls are being spread on social networks for fans to vote en masse for Stroll in Mexico, no matter how the Canadian performs on the track.
Some of the campaign participants even say that they will continue the initiative in the next races if they do not achieve their goal this time. Sergio Perez has been named as a backup option in case Stroll drops out.
Such attempts at mass voting in support of drivers who are not among the favorites for the award are not unprecedented. In 2021, a similar initiative was directed at Nikita Mazepin for the Portuguese Grand Prix, and a year later, fans tried to support Nicolas Latifi in Canada. Both cases did not lead to the desired result.
Strol himself has one award for “Driver of the Day“ in his career. It came after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in 2017, when the Canadian finished third with the Williams team and climbed to the podium.
However, the initiative raises questions about the meaning of such a campaign. Even if Stroll wins the vote, this would not necessarily mean that he was the best-performing driver in the race. Such a result would cast doubt on the objectivity of the poll and turn the award into a tool for internet mockery.
It remains to be seen whether the campaign will gain enough popularity to influence the vote in Mexico, or whether the vote will once again be won by a driver with a more convincing performance on the track.