Ahead of F1 testing in Bahrain next week, the FIA has released a statement regarding Max Verstappen and Christian Horner.
What happened?
Appearing at the F1 75 launch of all ten liveries ahead of the 2025 season in London, Max Verstappen and Christian Horner received boos from the crowd during the event.
The Dutch driver, as well as his British team boss, have faced plenty of sharp criticism online since 2021. It ramped up to another level following the ending to the Abu Dhabi race that year.
F1 75 proved to be the last straw for the FIA as they were extremely unhappy with the reaction Horner and Verstappen received last Tuesday. They released a statement urging for respect to be given to all competitors.
Of course, booing is not the only issue online or in real life as even bigger issues happen on a regular basis.
Seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton regularly faces racist remarks on social media. Sergio Pérez was on the end of xenophobia throughout last year following his difficulties with the RB20.
FIA 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 is a culture of respect. As such, it was disappointing to hear the crowd’s tribalist reaction to FIA Formula One 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.”
