Max Verstappen dismissed questions over the hostile reception he appeared to receive during Formula 1’s official pre-season launch event, saying he heard no boos from the crowd.
He made the comments a day after his Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, who was audibly jeered at, said it was “disappointing” some in the crowd had booed his driver.
“There was any booing?” Verstappen asked when the subject was raised during today’s FIA press conference. “Maybe I’m deaf.”
Verstappen was asked about comments made by his father, former Formula 1 driver Jos Verstappen, who suggested his son would boycott future events in Britain due to the reception he received in London last week.
“I don’t need to really talk about it,” he replied. “It’s not worth my time.”
However Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff believes Horner, not Verstappen, was the real target of the crowd’s displeasure.
“We were all surprised by the amount of booing that happened, particularly to one individual,” said Wolff.
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“There wasn’t any booing, really, on Max. Them coming in was a consequence of what happened before.
“But that was big and bad and came as a surprise to everyone. I mean, it’s his home turf and still Christian got these boos. Boos shouldn’t be in the sport, but in my opinion, that wasn’t directed to Max.”
Williams team principal James Vowles echoed Wolff’s words. “I don’t think there’s a place for booing,” he said.
“We were going there to effectively represent our sport that we’re passionate about and we need to remember that it’s trying to give back to the world. It’s not a ‘hero or evil’-type environment.”
The FIA condemned what it described as “tribalistic” booing of Verstappen and Horner during the event. The sport’s governing body was also booed by some in the crowd at F1 75.
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