The Big Lead

FIA condemns boos for Max Verstappen, Christian Horner at F1 75 event

The fans let their voices be heard at the F1 75 event in London, and the governing body of motorsport didn't like it one bit.

By Simon Head

Oct 23, 2022; Austin, Texas, USA; (from left) Red Bull team advisor Helmut Marko and Red Bull Racing Limited driver Max Verstappen of Team Netherlands and Team Principal Christian Horner celebrate winning the U.S. Grand Prix F1 race at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Oct 23, 2022; Austin, Texas, USA; (from left) Red Bull team advisor Helmut Marko and Red Bull Racing Limited driver Max Verstappen of Team Netherlands and Team Principal Christian Horner celebrate winning the U.S. Grand Prix F1 race at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
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The governing body of world motorsport has issued a statement condemning the fans who booed Max Verstappen and Red Bull boss Christian Horner during last week's F1 75 event in London.

The event, which took place in front of a huge crowd at The O2 Arena, saw each team take its turn to unveil their new 2025 car ahead of the upcoming F1 season.

RELATED: Max Verstappen embarrassed, Christian Horner booed at F1's launch event in London

And, while the atmosphere was light-hearted and excited, with comedian Jack Whitehall playfully joking with, and at, some of the stars on show, the predominantly British crowd couldn't let their distain go unheard whenever Verstappen and Horner were shown on the big screens at the event.

Verstappen's appearance on camera drew a mixed response of cheers, applause and boos, while the reaction to Horner brought out the boo-birds once again.

Verstappen's hard-nosed approach to racing, which some view as crossing the lines of fairness and safety, has led to him having something of a love-hate relationship with some quarters of the F1 fanbase, with his undoubted driving talent at times overshadowed by his penchant for pushing things too hard when under pressure by his rivals.

Horner, meanwhile, has become something of a pantomime villain in F1, through his own spiky personality and through his appearances on the F1: Drive to Survive series.

Both men found themselves on the receiving end in London as the fans showered the stage with boos during their appearances.

And the fan reaction to the two Red Bull figures has drawn a slap on the wrist from the FIA, who released a statement criticizing the fans' boos.

"Great rivalries throughout the history of motorsport have helped to make it such an exciting experience for fans," the statement began.

"But what underpins the sport at all levels is a culture of respect. So it was disappointing to see the tribal reaction of the crowd to FIA Formula One World Champion Max Verstappen and his Red Bull team principal and CEO Christian Horner at the F1 launch in London."

The statement then went on to highlight Verstappen and Red Bull's contributions to the sport and asked fans to think about the impact of their boos on the people involved.

"Max and Christian have both contributed greatly to the sport we love. In the season ahead we should not lose sight of that," the statement continued.

"As part of the FIA's commitment to protect the integrity of the sport, we are leading a coalition tackling online abuse in sport under the banner of our United Against Online Abuse campaign.

"We stand with all of our competitors, officials, volunteers, and fans to unite against this growing threat. We urge the sporting community to consider the impact of their actions both online and offline."

The statement from the FIA didn't go down well in some quarters, with former F1 world champion Damon Hill posted on his Instagram story as he mocked the statement with a short riposte.

"Telling off the crowd."

It showed that, in the UK, at least, Red Bull and Verstappen are very much seen as the bad guys ahead of the 2025 F1 season. Verstappen will lead the charge as the four-time world champion, but will face arguably his toughest test yet, with McLaren's Lando Norris, plus the Ferrari duo of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, likely to give him all he can handle in a season many are tipping to be one of the tightest in recent memory.

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