Formula 1: "It's unacceptable", anger of the Verstappen clan after the boos against the world champion
Jos Verstappen has denounced the treatment reserved for his son Max, world champion, who was booed during the grand presentation of the Formula 1 grid last week.
Reigning world champion with the Red Bull team, Max Verstappen was roundly booed throughout the evening event to present the teams for the 2025 season, last week at the O2 Arena in London. 15,000 hostile spectators who also gave Christian Horner, the British boss of the Milton Keynes team, a frosty reception. If Verstappen did not speak, the manager responded by saying with a wry smile: " It's still fantastic to be here."
This hostility did not go unnoticed within the clan of the quadruple world champion. The father of "Mad Max", a former Formula 1 driver, condemned the attitude of the public who, unsurprisingly, gave Lewis Hamilton a triumphant welcome. " I found what happened with Red Bull shameful. Christian Horner was booed, and Max too. You do this for Formula 1, to promote the championship, and you are booed by the public. It is unacceptable," said the Dutchman defending his son.
According to Jos Verstappen (52), Max could simply skip a possible presentation next year, if the ceremony is held in hostile territory again. " Max doesn't want that, to be booed in front of an audience of 25,000 people. He also said: ' If it's in England next year, they certainly won't see me' . And I couldn't agree more. You're there to promote the sport and showcase the new colours of the cars, but when they go wild like that, the question is : 'What are you doing here?'"
The International Automobile Federation condemned the booing of Verstappen and the entire Red Bull team, as well as the booing of the institution when the FIA logo appeared on the giant screens at the O2 Arena. "At all levels, sport is built on a culture of respect. As such, it was disappointing to hear the tribal reaction of the crowd towards world champion Max Verstappen and Red Bull principal Christian Horner at the presentation in London. Both Max and Christian have made a huge contribution to our sport and this must not be lost sight of in the coming season," said an FIA spokesperson, adding that it is participating in a programme (United Against Online Abuse, editor's note) to combat insults on social media . "We stand with all competitors, officials, volunteers and fans to unite against this growing threat. We urge the sports community to take into account the impact of these acts, online or in real life,” the institution added.
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