Max Verstappen was booed at London’s F1 75 Live event, which saw all ten Formula 1 teams take part in a collective livery-launch.
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Red Bull team principal Christian Horner also received a negative reception, as well as the FIA.
Verstappen To Boycott Future Events
Jos Verstappen, father of Max Verstappen, stated in conversation with RaceXpress:
“In itself, I thought it was a reasonable set-up, only I thought it was shameful what happened there with Red Bull Racing.
That Christian Horner was booed like that, and Max was booed too. Look, then you do it for Formula 1, you are there to promote the sport and then you are booed by the public.
I don’t think that’s acceptable. I get it, because Max is the only one who fires up those Englishmen and says exactly where it’s at. But I don’t think this is acceptable, it really is a disappointment what happened there.”
Boos were heard within the crowd when Verstappen appeared on-screen at the event. Furthermore, the four-time World Champion and teammate Liam Lawson were the only two drivers to not directly address the audience after Red Bull’s livery launch.
However, this was agreed earlier in the planning process and not as a response to the evening’s unfolding events.
Jos Verstappen went on to urge British fans to “take a hard look” at their behaviour, stating that Max Verstappen would not be attending another event like F1 75 Live if it were held in the United Kingdom.
“No, Max doesn’t feel like that, to be booed like that in front of 25,000 people. He also says ‘If this is in England next year, they definitely won’t see me’.”
From The FIA
Following the event on March 18th 2025, the FIA released a statement:
“Great rivalries throughout the history of motorsport have contributed to making it such an exciting experience for fans.
But what underpins sport at all levels in a culture of respect. As such, it was disappointing to hear the crowd’s tribalist reaction to FIA Formula 1 World Champion Max Verstappen and his Red Bull Team Principal and CEO Christian Horner, at the F1 launch in London
Max and Christian have both contributed greatly to the sport we love. In the season ahead we should not lose sight of that
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.”
Why The Controversy Occured
The FIA may be correct with the reasonings behind why Verstappen was booed at the Formula 1 hosted event.
However, it has been speculated that the reason why Horner was booed runs deeper than him just being the Team Principal of the Championship-winning team.
In February 2024, reports surfaced that a female employee at Red Bull told the organisation’s parent company that Horner had engaged in “inappropriate, controlling behaviour.”
Horner was cleared by an independent lawyer in February, yet the accuser appealed this decision.
Following a second investigation, the appeal was once again dismissed and the female employee was suspended from the team at the beginning of 2024.
Horner refused to comment “on anonymous speculative messages from an unknown source”, although many still disagree with the way in which the situation was handled.
Featured Image Credit: Red Bull Content Pool
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