Horner downplays booing: ‘You can’t dictate fan reactions’

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has downplayed the booing Red Bull and the FIA were subject to at the F1 75 Live event last week, saying passionate fans are part of elite sport.

Max Verstappen and Horner both received boos from sections of the crowd at the O2 Arena in London, with it particularly noticeable for the team principal. The FIA’s logo was also booed when F1 thanked the volunteers that help put on events, leading to a statement from the governing body that said “it was disappointing to hear the crowd’s tribalist reaction” to Horner and Verstappen.

Despite that FIA support -- that Red Bull said it had not asked for -- Horner suggests fans should not be denounced for showing their passion.

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“Fans are the DNA of the sport,” Horner said. “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 polarizing, 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 front of 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 was a big event. Obviously all the teams put a lot effort into it, which was interesting to see. 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.

Horner felt Verstappen deserved more respect for his achievements within the sport but says the location of F1 75 Live in the UK -- with the Dutchman having gone up against both Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris in title battles -- will have played a significant part.

“I guess the only disappointment I had with it was the reception to Max, as a four-time world champion, that was disappointing," Horner said. "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.”