Christian Horner, Red Bull team principal, reacted after being booed at the F1 season launch event.
Horner and Red Bull’s four-time world champion Max Verstappen were met with a chorus of boos as they took the stage in front of a packed O2 Arena in London last week.
It was the first event of its kind, with all 10 teams and 20 drivers present to unveil their respective liveries for the upcoming season.
In contrast to the boos directed at the Red Bull duo, Ferrari’s new driver Lewis Hamilton received the loudest cheers of the night on home soil.
During the press conference on the opening day of F1 pre-season testing in Bahrain, Horner was asked about the reception he received.
“It was a great event. Obviously, all the teams put a lot of effort into it, and it was interesting to see.”
“Of course, for us, launching our car in front of a British crowd was a bit like being in a football stadium when you’re not the home team. Fans will always support the teams and drivers they want. And we’ve been strong rivals of Lewis over the years.”
“The only disappointment I had was the reaction towards Max as a four-time world champion—it was disappointing. But passion in sport will always be there.”
“If the launch had been in the Netherlands, without a doubt, the reception would have been somewhat different.”
“Fans are, of course, the DNA of the sport. I think the fan base has changed in recent years, as we’ve welcomed a more diverse audience into the sport.”
“This sport is one of the most polarizing and competitive among all top-level sports. Fans are passionate. They support their drivers and, above all, their teams.”
“You can’t dictate that. We’re thrilled to race in front of such a large audience, and you’ll get different reactions depending on where you race in the world—it’s the same in any elite sport.”
F1’s governing body, the FIA, took the unusual step of getting involved, issuing a statement condemning the crowd’s reaction.
Horner stated that Red Bull had not spoken to the FIA after the event.
“They made their own comments on the matter. It was in no way something we requested.”
“We certainly didn’t have any conversation with the FIA after the event. I think it was part of their campaign to tackle online abuse.”
Alongside him, McLaren CEO Zak Brown saw no issue with the fans’ reaction.
“The event was pretty great for the fans.”
“I think we need more events like this, whether it’s pre-season, more opportunities for fans when we test tires, or end-of-year awards—right now, it’s not an F1 award, it’s the FIA’s, and it’s not exclusively for F1.”
“I’m a fan of events. I’ve seen other sports do it well. I think we’re making good progress in that area. I’ve never been to a sporting event that was quiet, where no one shouted at a football player for missing a goal, or at a hockey or baseball player.”
“I think sport brings out passionate fans—they cheer, and they shift the energy.”
Brown stated he had seen far worse abuse on social media than booing at a live fan event.
“I’ve certainly seen far worse on social media, where you think, hang on, this is going too far. Cheers and boos have always been part of sport, all sports, and that’s what fans do. They yell at their TV when watching with their friends.”
“Everyone has a favorite team, a favorite driver. Favorites. That’s just sport. I don’t think there was anything visceral or violent about it. We’ve seen other sports with riots—that was far from the case here.”
“It was simply sport, fans expressing their opinions about who they support or don’t.”
- Discover More>Montoya: Ferrari Must Back Hamilton Over Leclerc for Glory
- Follow us on >Facebook and >Twitter for F1 updates
Horner Shrugs Off Boos but Calls Verstappen Reaction Unfair Horner Shrugs Off Boos but Calls Verstappen Reaction Unfair Horner Shrugs Off Boos but Calls Verstappen Reaction Unfair
