F1 75, the grand launch event celebrating the sport’s 75th anniversary, was a great spectacle for most attendees at the O2 Arena in London. However, Max Verstappen and his Team Principal, Christian Horner, left with a poor impression of the show.
The fans gave Verstappen a tough time, booing him throughout his introduction, which was conducted by Jack Whitehall, the host for the night.
Why? No one really knows. But the Dutchman’s father, Jos, believes it was due to his son’s rivalry with British hero Lewis Hamilton. The ex-F1 driver labeled the booing against his son and Horner unnecessary and warned that they might sit out similar events held in the UK in the coming years.
That said, presenter Simon Lazenby felt there was a way Verstappen could have silenced the hostile crowd.
“He could’ve come out and sworn,” he said on the Sky Sports podcast, which was also a subtle reminder of the ongoing tensions between F1’s fanbase and the FIA.
Lazenby reminded his co-hosts, Ted Kravitz and Bernie Collins, that the FIA was being booed louder than anyone at F1 75 due to its recent rules prohibiting drivers from swearing in public. Verstappen has been one of the few to openly condemn this clampdown, which is why, Lazenby suggested, defying the rules could have helped him win over the crowd in London.
The FIA has called out the “tribalist” reaction to Red Bull team principal Christian Horner and world champion Max Verstappen after they were booed at F1 75 pic.twitter.com/pARhr8KiaO
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) February 23, 2025
Kravitz, however, had a very different idea. While Lazenby suggested a way for Verstappen to win over the fans, Kravitz had the exact opposite in mind.
What Kravitz wanted Verstappen to do
Like Jos, Kravitz understood that most of the crowd at the O2 Arena was rooting for British drivers.
Jokingly, he suggested that Verstappen should have written a speech pitting Lando Norris against his teammate Oscar Piastri and George Russell against Kimi Antonelli.
“Lando, Piastri is going to be taking points off each other, Antonelli is going to be good, taking points off George Russell. Liam [Lawson]’s not going to take any points, it’s all about me. I’m going to win another championship,” Kravitz said.
Collins, a former F1 strategist, took a different approach. She suggested the booing might be a ploy to get Verstappen out of such commitments in the future. In fact, the Red Bull driver had joked earlier that he wasn’t interested in attending the event and was planning to call in sick!
