Christian Horner gives first reaction to being booed at F1 75

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has given his reaction to being booed at F1’s season launch event.

Horner and Red Bull’s four-time world champion Max Verstappen were greeted by a chorus of boos when they took to the stage in front of a packed-out O2 Arena in London last week.

The event was the first of its kind as all 10 teams and 20 drivers were present to reveal their respective liveries for the upcoming season.

In contrast to the boos for the Red Bull duo, new Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton got the loudest cheers of the night on home soil. 

During the team principal press conference on the opening day of F1 pre-season testing in Bahrain, Horner was asked for his thoughts on the reception he received.

“It was a big event, obviously all the teams put a lot of effort into it, which was interesting to see,” Horner said.

"Of course launching your car is a bit like launching your away strip in a home fans’ stadium, so fans will always back the teams and drivers that they want to. Of course we’ve been the protagonists over the years.

“The only disappointment I had with it was the reaction 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.”

Horner added: “The fans are of course the DNA of the sport. I think the fandom has changed over the past few years as we’ve welcomed more diverse fans to the sport.

“Sport is polarising, competitive sport across any premier sport in the world.  Fans are passionate. They support their drivers and predominantly they support their teams.

“You can’t dictate that. We’re delighted to race in such a big audience and you are going to get different reactions depending on where you race in the world and that is the same in any elite sport.”

F1’s governing body the FIA took the unusual step of getting involved in the matter by releasing a statement condemning the crowd’s reaction.

Horner said Red Bull did not speak to the FIA following the event.

“They made their own comments on it. It was nothing we asked for,” he explained.

“We certainly didn’t have any conversation with the FIA following event. I think it was part of their campaign to stamp out online abuse.”

Toto Wolff did not join in with boos

Mercedes counterpart Toto Wolff swerved criticising fans for booing Horner when he was asked for his thoughts in Bahrain.

Wolff also insisted Verstappen was not the target of the jeering.

“I don’t think that Max was booed and we shouldn’t talk an event down that was mega just because one single individual was rightly or wrongly booed when he spoke,” Wolff told Sky Sports.

“It was a great event. The spectators there were great. The presentation of the cars was good and it sets a new format for the years to come and that is the new positive we need to take from that.”

Asked if he was among those booing, Wolff replied: “No! I wasn’t booing. There was 15,000 people that did that. It wasn’t necessary that I did.”