The Denver Broncos have three majority owners from the Walton-Penner family and three minority owners, including Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton.
So it was a bit of a surprise when Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson used the name “Max Verstappen” as an audible during a Sunday Night Football showdown against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 11.
Verstappen, of course, is one of Hamilton’s F1 rivals.
Here’s a sampling of how Twitter reacted to the audible.
Broncos brought out the "Max Verstappen" audible pic.twitter.com/HidoMbH1Vg
— NFL (@NFL) November 20, 2023
Russ better hope Broncos owner Lewis Hamilton isn’t watching after that Max Verstappen audible…
— Zach (@ZCast25) November 20, 2023
Um dos audibles de Russell Wilson foi “Max Verstappen” ou to maluco?
(Um tanto quanto irônico considerando que Lewis Hamilton é acionista minoritário do Denver Broncos, diga-se)
— Antony Curti (@CurtiAntony) November 20, 2023
Broncos shouting “max verstappen” at the line of scrimmage 🤣 good stuff
— LongFI (@MoFlow510) November 20, 2023
Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson is shouting “Max Verstappen” as an audible
It is pretty funny that a team partially owned by Lewis Hamilton is using his rival’s name as an audible 😂
pic.twitter.com/Wyr6pmk1mz— Dan’s DRS Zone (@F1GuyDan) November 20, 2023
How does @LewisHamilton, who is part of the #Broncos ownership group, feel about this Max Verstappen audible?? pic.twitter.com/J2bbLcQ3z1
— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) November 20, 2023
The Las Vegas GP marketing is on another level.
How did they get Russell Wilson to drop a “Max Verstappen” audible !? 😂 #LasVegasGP pic.twitter.com/NqXmS5Hddd
— Vincenzo Landino (@vincenzolandino) November 20, 2023
The Broncos pulled out the "Max Verstappen" audible 😂🏁
🎥: @NFL pic.twitter.com/e61LqLA1Th
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 20, 2023
Me when I heard “Is Max Verstappen there?” in this clip pic.twitter.com/ZXVoKg8vnP https://t.co/WKw4g1zoIw
— Matt³³⁺¹⁶ (@FM1_3316) November 20, 2023
Broncos you need to score fast
Broncos: DU DU DU DU MAX VERSTAPPEN https://t.co/hDKfWsa92B pic.twitter.com/F8bDHrvrRN
— Nikolai P. Culp (@NikolaiPCulp) November 20, 2023
A team with Lewis Hamilton as an owner has an audible called "Max Verstappen" – can't make this stuff up! 😂 https://t.co/h6klHG5dLx
— David Schildhouse (@SchildhouseD) November 20, 2023
Wilson calling “MAX VERSTAPPEN, MAX VERSTAPPEN” at the line of scrimmage while one of the most bitter F1 championship battles of all time was max vs a literal owner of the broncos is unironically hilarious
— Patrick Dawson (@PatrickDawson24) November 20, 2023
Perhaps the Broncos can use “Hamilton” as a play call sometime down the road. It certainly was a curious decision to use the rival of one of the team’s co-owners as an audible.