Red Bull’s Christian Horner on boos at F1 75 launch event
BAHRAIN – Red Bull boss Christian Horner compared being booed at F1’s 2025 launch event to “launching your away strip in a home fans’ stadium.”
Horner and Red Bull driver Max Verstappen were loudly jeered when introduced at London‘s O2 Arena last week, where all 10 teams launched their liveries together for the first time ever.
Horner brushed off the crowd’s reaction to him but made clear he felt the Dutchman, as a four-time world champion, deserved more respect.
“It was a big event. Obviously all the teams put a lot effort into it, which was interesting to see,” Horner said in a press conference during the opening day of F1 preseason testing.
“Now of course, launching your car is a bit like launching your away strip in a home fans’ stadium. Fans will always back the teams and drivers that they want to. Of course, we’ve been the protagonists over the years.
“I guess the only disappointment I had with it was that the reception to Max, as a four-time world champion, that was disappointing. But passion in sport is always going to be there. If the launch had been in Holland, no doubt the reception would have been somewhat different.”
The governing FIA, which was also booed when its logo was shown during the event, condemned the booing, with president Mohammed Ben Sulayem labelling it “tribalist.”
Horner said a mix of reactions is normal whenever fans are attending such an event.
“Fans are the DNA of the sport,” Horner added. “I think the fandom has changed obviously over the last few years as we’ve been welcoming more and more diverse fans to the sport. Sport is polarising, and competitive sport across any premier sport in the world.
“Fans are passionate, and they support their drivers, predominantly they support their teams. And you can’t dictate that. We’re delighted to race in such a big audience. You’re going to get different reactions depending where you race in the world. That’s the same in any elite sport.”
It remains unclear whether F1 will mark every season in a similar way, with this year’s event organised to coincide with the 75th year of the sport.
Source: espn.com