"The FIA really hates Max Verstappen": Joel Embiid enters F1 debate amid latest Brazil GP penalty controversy

On Saturday, Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid voiced his opinion on the Brazilian F1 Sprint penalty controversy involving Max Verstappen. The Dutch-Belgian racer dropped to fourth place in the Brazilian F1 Sprint due to a penalty for VSC (Virtual Safety Car) infringement. He was about to catch up to Oscar Piastri in second place until the VSC was dropped. This prevented him from advancing further.

Embiid wasn't a fan of what transpired and gave his opinion on the matter on X, formerly Twitter.

"The FIA really hates Max lmao," Embiid posted. "They allowed McLaren to switch positions before they dropped the VSC #F1"

This isn't the first time Joel Embiid defended Max Verstappen. Earlier this year, Verstappen was involved in a contentious finish at the Austrian Grand Prix. The Dutch-Belgian racer collided with Lando Norris, which forced Norris to retire from the race.

Embiid was quick to defend Verstappen as he blamed the stewards for causing the two racers to collide. Whatever the case was, it's clear that the Philadelphia 76ers star is a huge fan of Verstappen. He even celebrated the racer's first championship victory in 2021.

---

Joel Embiid is passionate about F1 racing

NBA: Milwaukee Bucks at Philadelphia 76ers - Source: Imagn

Despite being one of the biggest stars in the NBA today, Joel Embiid has a love for other sports. While many know about his love for soccer, few are aware of his enthusiasm for F1 racing.

In an exclusive interview with Mail Sport, Embiid shared that he grew up watching F1 and remains a devoted fan today.

Prominent figures in the F1 world seem to admire Embiid as well. During the 2023-24 NBA season, Guenther Steiner, former principal of the Haas F1 Team, attended a game in Miami where the Philadelphia 76ers played the Miami Heat. After the game, Embiid and Steiner met up, took photos together, and discussed the NBA star's desire to get more involved in F1 racing.

One potential route for Embiid could be acquiring an ownership stake in an F1 team. This wouldn't be unprecedented, as Michael Jordan owns 23XI Racing in NASCAR.