Horner brushes off rowdy crowd's cold shoulder at F1 75 event

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Red Bull team principal Christian Horner faced a fiery crowd last week at the F1 75 Live season launch, but the Briton says he was unfazed by the jeers.

The glitzy event at London's O2 Arena on February 18 rolled out the red carpet for all 10 Formula 1 teams, giving fans a first-of-its-kind pre-season spectacle.

Yet, when Horner took the stage for Red Bull's big reveal, the home crowd let loose a wave of boos that echoed through the packed venue.

Unruffled, Horner chalked it up to the wild passion of sports fandom – though he wasn't as thrilled about the reception for his star driver, Max Verstappen.

"It was a big event," Horner said, reflecting on the night during a chat with the media on the first day of pre-season testing in Bahrain.

"Obviously all the teams put a lot of effort into it, which was quite interesting to see. Of course, launching your car is a bit like launching your away strip with a home fan stadium.

"So fans will always back the teams and drivers that they want to and of course, we've been the protagonists over the years."

For Horner, the booing was just part of the game – sport's rowdy soundtrack.

Max's Boos Sting a Little Deeper

While Horner took the crowd's jeers in stride, he admitted to feeling a pang of disappointment when four-time world champ Verstappen faced a similar chorus.

Introduced by host Jack Whitehall, the Dutch ace didn't get the warm welcome Horner thought he deserved.

"I guess the only disappointment I had with it was the reception for Max as a four-time world champion," Horner added.

"That was disappointing, but passion in sport is always going to be there. If the launch would have been in Holland, no doubt the reception would have been somewhat different."

The FIA wasn't amused by the crowd's antics and issued a stern rebuke, but Horner saw it differently.

"The fans of course are the DNA of the sport," he said, nodding to the growing buzz around F1 that birthed F1 75.

"I think the fandom has changed over the last few years as we've been welcoming more and more diverse fans to the sport.

"Sport is polarising and competitive sport across any premier sport in the world. Fans are passionate and they support their drivers, predominantly they support their teams. You can't dictate that.

"We're delighted to race in such a big audience. You're going to get different reactions depending on where you race in the world. That's the same in any elite sport."

McLaren Steals the Cheers

The night wasn't all boos for everyone – McLaren, fresh off their 2024 Constructors' title, soaked up some of the loudest cheers.

Their fierce on-track tussle with Red Bull last season made the contrasting crowd reactions all the more striking. McLaren CEO Zak Brown couldn't get enough of it.

"The event was pretty awesome for the fans," Brown said. "I think we need to do more of those types of events.

"I think I've never been to a sporting event that's been quiet… I think sport brings out passionate fans, and they cheer, and they move."

Brown even brushed off the booing as tame compared to online vitriol.

"I've certainly seen a lot worse on social media," he said. "Cheering and booing has been part of sport, every sport forever, and that's what fans do… I didn't think there was anything visceral or violent… I just think it was sports and fans doing what fans do."

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