Red Bull team principal Christian Horner addresses fan reactions at the F1 75 Live event in London, where both he and Max Verstappen faced booing from sections of the crowd at the O2 Arena.

The FIA released a statement expressing disappointment over the "tribalist reaction," though Red Bull hadn't requested such support. Horner emphasizes that passionate fan responses are natural in elite sports.

"Fans are the DNA of the sport," Horner explains, noting how F1's fanbase has diversified in recent years. He adds that competitive sport naturally creates polarizing reactions, and fan passion shouldn't be dictated or controlled.

While acknowledging the significant effort teams put into the event, Horner compares launching a car at such venues to "launching your away strip in a home fans' stadium," recognizing that local support often influences crowd reactions.

Horner expresses particular disappointment regarding the reception of four-time world champion Max Verstappen, though he attributes this partly to the event's UK location, where Verstappen has competed against British drivers Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris. He suggests the reception would have been markedly different had the launch been held in the Netherlands.

"You're going to get different reactions depending where you race in the world. That's the same in any elite sport," Horner concludes, emphasizing the territorial nature of sports fandom.

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