During the launch event for the teams’ liveries for the 2025 season, amid all the excitement from the fans, there was also a blemish—the boos not only aimed at the Red Bull duo of Chris Horner and Max Verstappen but also at the FIA itself.
This was something difficult to overlook without at least some reflection. The Federation addressed the incident in an official statement, stressing that the audience should have shown greater respect both to the four-time world champion, who did not seem to take the situation well, and to Horner.
The Red Bull Team Principal tried to move past the boos as he took the stage, introducing the two drivers, who, unlike all the other team representatives, did not even speak.
Verstappen and Red Bull are quite unpopular in the United Kingdom, especially since he won the 2021 championship after a long battle with Lewis Hamilton that lasted the entire season and was filled with controversies. However, at an event meant to celebrate F1, it was unexpected for part of the audience to react this way on such an important occasion.
The FIA was displeased with the boos, as it has been leading campaigns against abuse both online and on track. It even issued an official statement expressing its stance on what happened in London. “The great rivalries throughout motorsport history have helped make it such an exciting experience for fans,” the governing body stated.
“But at all levels, what lies at the heart of the sport is a culture of respect. For this reason, it was disappointing to hear the tribal reaction of the crowd towards FIA Formula 1 World Champion Max Verstappen and his Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner during the F1 launch event in London.”
“Max and Christian have both made significant contributions to the sport we love. As we head into the upcoming season, we must not lose sight of this,” the Federation added, emphasizing how crucial it will be to maintain proper respect in what is expected to be a highly intense season.
The FIA also reiterated its commitment to campaigns against online abuse, which has been one of its key initiatives in recent years, particularly given the growing impact of this issue on social media.
“As part of the FIA’s commitment to protecting the integrity of the sport, we are leading a coalition tackling online abuse in sports under the banner of our campaign United Against Online Abuse.”
“We stand with all our competitors, race officials, volunteers, and fans in joining together against this growing threat. We urge the sporting community to consider the impact of their actions both online and offline,” the Federation added, noting that it plans to discuss this topic further at the next World Motor Sport Council meeting on Wednesday.
However, Helmut Marko, who is personally known for not being a fan of these glamorous events, still considered the event a success from a general perspective, despite the boos directed at Red Bull. “Filling an arena with 15,000 people is a sign that it was a success. It’s an example of the new marketing avenues that Formula 1 is exploring.”
“And with such a large audience, you can only say it was a success,” the Red Bull advisor added when asked for his opinion on the event by Motorsport-Total.com, the sister site of Motorsport.com.
Beyond the spectacle, Marko also shared his thoughts on how the event could evolve in the future, suggesting changes to make it a standalone occasion. “But if they continue to do it, I think they should change something and, for example, present the new cars.”
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