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Hamilton Favored at F1 Launch Event: Red Bull Team Faces Hostility Amid Threats of Boycott

Carl Harrison by Carl Harrison
March 11, 2025
in Motorsports
Reading Time: 2 mins read
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Lewis Hamilton’s Initial Impressions and Experience with the New Ferrari SF-25: Journey towards F1 2025

Formula One F1 - F1 75 Live Season Launch - The O2, London, Britain - February 18, 2025 Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton with team principal Frederic Vasseur and Charles Leclerc during the launch REUTERS/Andrew Boyers EDITORIAL USE ONLY TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

In an unexpected twist at the Formula 1 75th launch event, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Christian Horner found themselves on the receiving end of a chorus of boos from the crowd. Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko believes the audience was overwhelmingly supportive of Lewis Hamilton, thus leading to the unfavorable reception of Verstappen and Horner.

The event, held at London’s O2 Arena, marked a milestone as the first collective season-launch gathering, graced by all 10 teams and 20 drivers. This event was not only a celebration of Formula 1’s 75th year of the World Championship but also served as the public debut of Hamilton’s highly publicized move to Ferrari.

However, the euphoria was slightly dampened as Verstappen and Horner, representing Red Bull, faced a hostile response when they took to the stage. This incident is a reminder of the intense rivalry that unfolded between Verstappen, Horner’s Red Bull, and Hamilton’s Mercedes during the 2021 season. A season that culminated in Verstappen securing his first of four consecutive World Championships amidst a wave of controversy.

The International Automobile Federation (FIA), Formula 1’s governing body, was quick to condemn the audience’s “tribalist reaction”. The FIA defended Verstappen and Horner, applauding their considerable contribution to the sport.

In a discussion on the Sport and Talk from Hangar-7 show, Marko expressed skepticism towards the idea of the season-launch event becoming a yearly tradition. He cited the evident bias towards Hamilton in the London audience. He stated, “The 75th anniversary of Formula 1 justified it, but I can’t imagine doing it every year now. It was a pro-Hamilton audience. You could really feel that.”

Marko’s remarks on the event follow a warning from Verstappen’s father, former F1 driver Jos Verstappen, who suggested that his son might consider boycotting similar events in the UK in the future. Jos Verstappen’s concerns stem from the perception that the event would attract a diverse demographic, rather than a predominantly British, and thus presumably pro-Hamilton, crowd.

At the recent pre-season test in Bahrain, Verstappen made light of the booing incident, claiming he hadn’t heard any such reactions. He brushed off the incident saying, “I don’t really need to talk about it. It’s not worth my time.”

Christian Horner also shared his thoughts on the incident, describing it as “disappointing”. He compared the reception of Verstappen, a four-time World Champion, to that of an away match in football. He expressed his belief that the reception would have been different had the launch been held in Holland.

Horner also clarified that Red Bull did not influence the FIA’s decision to issue a statement condemning the booing incident, stating: “The FIA, they’ve made their own comments. It was nothing that we certainly asked for. I didn’t have any conversation with the FIA following the event.”

This incident, while unfortunate, is a stark reminder of the passion and intense rivalry that lies at the heart of Formula 1. As the new season beckons, it remains to be seen how this will impact the performance and dynamics of the teams involved.

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