FIA blames Verstappen, Horner boos on “tribalist” fan behaviour

The FIA has called for respect from fans after boos were heard during the F1 75 event in London on Tuesday, which launched the 2025 season.

During the ceremony, where all new F1 liveries and some novel cars were unveiled, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner and his driver Max Verstappen appeared on stage, which prompted some jeers from the mostly British crowd.

Verstappen and Red Bull have been somewhat unpopular in the United Kingdom ever since they came out on top in the 2021 world championship, following a titanic season-long battle with Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes, which ended in controversy.

The booing was not to the FIA’s taste, and the motorsport governing body has released a statement where it condemns the crowd’s attitude.

“Great rivalries throughout the history of motorsport have contributed to making it such an exciting experience for fans,” an FIA spokesperson said.

“But what underpins sport at all levels is 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.”

Even in the Autosport newsroom the booing got some mixed reactions, with one F1 reporter arguing that “booing is now part of F1” while another deplored that the “one-sided” jeers made the event “feel a little uncomfortable”.

Motorsport.com understands the matter will likely be raised at the next World Motor Sport Council gathering on Wednesday.

Additional reporting by Filip Cleeren