"The world doesn't revolves around blackpink"- Fans hit back at backlash after ENHYPEN's F1 appearance, defending HYBE group against Lisa comparisons

On October 3, 2025, ENHYPEN members Jay, Jake, Jungwon, and Sunghoon participated in the Formula 1 festivities. Their visit included a tour of the Oracle Red Bull Racing garage and a meeting with superstar racer Max Verstappen.

Members of SEVENTEEN Vernon and Dino were also present at the event. Following these visits, F1's official social media channels shared photos of the K-pop idols, which quickly ignited controversy.

The idol groups of HYBE soon started facing criticism online after some netizens drew comparisons between their visit and BLACKPINK’s Lisa’s past F1 appearance. The controversy emerged when some netizens claimed that HYBE idols were benefiting from Lisa’s earlier connection to Formula 1.

Lisa attended the Miami Grand Prix in May 2024, where she waved the ceremonial checkered flag to close the event. At the time, she was criticized for her appearance, linking it to her rumored relationship with Frédéric Arnault. Now many netizens believed that other idols were receiving a different reaction for similar activities.

Following ENHYPEN and SEVENTEEN’s visit, some users commented on Formula 1’s posts with phrases like “Thank Frédéric,” implying that Lisa’s association with Arnault opened doors for other K-pop stars as well. Other accused HYBE artists of “copying” Lisa’s appearance at the races.

In response, ENHYPEN fans quickly defended the group, emphasizing that their participation had no connection to Lisa or BLACKPINK. Supporters pointed out that ENHYPEN member Jay’s well-known enthusiasm for Formula 1 played a key role in the group’s involvement.

His frequent mentions of the sport through Weverse lives, fan interactions and interviews made him a familiar face as a F1 fan. Fans highlighted that Jay’s admiration the sport and for Max Verstappen had gone viral several times in the past making the group’s visit a natural outcome rather than a copied move. One person countered the claims by arguing,

"The world doesn’t revolves around blackpink so grow up"

Fans of the group have strongly defended the members. They voiced their frustration at the comparisons to Lisa, arguing that ENHYPEN’s participation was based on merit and interest rather than imitation. Many took to social media to remind others that Jay’s involvement with Formula 1 and that his consistent enthusiasm naturally caught the attention of the racing world.

Fans again and again stressed that the opportunity was driven by Jay’s genuine passion for the sport. They pointed out that both Red Bull Racing and Williams independently reached out to Jay, showing that the invitations were based on his visible enthusiasm rather than agency influence.

Others shared that Formula 1 teams actively monitor social media to engage with viral moments, rather than relying on entertainment agencies to orchestrate appearances. They suggested that this might have led to the boy group’s visit.

Meanwhile someone took a step back to provide historical context, highlighting that K-pop idols' involvement with F1 is not a new phenomenon. They reminded netizens K-pop artists' appearance in Formula 1 events predated Lisa’s appearance and PSY was the first K-pop idol to be in a F1 even back in 2012. Notably, he was also named the official promotional ambassador for the F1 Korea Grand Prix.

Enhypen meets Max Verstappen at Singapore F1 during Walk the Line tour, Jay congratulates racer and signs merchandise

During their visit to the Formula 1 event in Singapore, the 4 ΕΝΗΥΡΕΝ members had the chance to meet racing superstar Max Verstappen. In an Instagram video shared by ENHYPEN and Formula 1, Jay, was seen congratulating Max Verstappen on his recent victory in the debut GT3 race. To this Verstappen appeared surprised that Jay had been following the race, to which Jay enthusiastically confirmed replying,

“Of course.”

During the meeting, Jay also signed a jersey and several caps for the group. Verstappen asked if the members would be in Singapore “for the entire weekend,” and Jake explained that their schedules were packed. For the unknown, the group was in Singapore as part of their Walk The Line concert that took place from October 3 to 5, 2025, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

ENHYPEN is set to conclude their year-long Walk The Line world tour in Seoul, South Korea, with performances at the KSPO Dome from October 24 to 26, 2025. The tour has began with back-to-back shows at Goyang Stadium in Goyang, South Korea, on October 5 and 6, 2024, and has since traveled to multiple countries.

About the author

Adrija Chakraborty is a writer at Sportskeeda with a Master's degree in English literature, which provided her with a strong foundation in research, analysis, and writing. Currently, she covers all things K-drama trends. In school, Adrija served as an editor for her school magazine and has published many stories that received delightful responses.

Adrija's passion for pop culture, especially K-pop and K-dramas, developed during her university years. Writing blog posts and articles on these topics, which received positive feedback, helped her build a portfolio and opened doors to opportunities in the pop culture writing industry. This also allowed her to combine her academic background with her love for K-pop and K-dramas.

Accuracy is key for Adrija, and she maintains this by thoroughly researching and cross-verifying information from multiple credible sources.

Adrija loves BTS, whom she admires not only for their music but also for their resilience, passion, and dedication.
In her free time, Adrija enjoys watching K-dramas, reading books in different languages on various topics, singing, painting, and cooking.

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Edited by Adrija Chakraborty