Toto Wolff defends the F1 75 in London and jokes about Horner: the words of the team principal

Toto Wolff defends the London presentation event after criticism for the booing from the audience towards Red Bull

The F1 75 event was a significant moment for Formula 1, bringing together all ten teams for the first time to unveil their liveries for the 2025 season. However, the ceremony was marred by booing from the audience directed at Red Bull, particularly towards the team’s principal, Horner, and Verstappen.

The FIA was also subject to protests from fans. In an official statement released in the days following the event, the federation described the behavior of the crowd at the O2 Arena in London as “tribal“: ” Great rivalries in history have contributed to making motorsport an exciting experience for fans. However, at the core of the sport at all levels is the culture of respect. For this reason, it was disappointing to hear the tribal reaction from the crowd towards the world champion and the team principal and CEO of Red Bull during the F1 launch in London “.

Wolff downplays the incident

Interviewed by Sky Sport News in Bahrain, on the eve of the pre-season tests, Toto Wolff, team principal of Mercedes, wanted to downplay the incident: “I don’t think Verstappen was booed. We shouldn’t diminish an extraordinary event just because a single individual, rightly or wrongly, was booed when they spoke“.

Wolff then emphasized the positive aspects of the evening: “It was a great event. The spectators were fantastic, the car presentations were well done, and it introduced a new format for the years to come, and that’s the positive aspect we need to take away “.

Given the now historic rivalry with Horner, who was heavily criticized during the presentation of the new RB21, Toto Wolff responded sarcastically when asked if he was among those booing: “I wasn’t booing. There were 15,000 people doing it, I didn’t need to do it myself“.

Photo: Formula 1