The unveiling of the RB21 turned into a painful spectacle, particularly for Red Bull team boss Christian Horner. During the F1 75 event in London, the team relinquished control and the big boss had to introduce the new car to a live audience. He was immediately booed and jeered. Not much later, Max Verstappen also faced a significant amount of heckling. Afterwards, Horner delved into the ‘deep-rooted’ prejudices of the British public.
At the start of the evening, there was already loud booing from the audience when Max Verstappen was shown on screen. His rivalry with Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris has not done him any favors, at least not with the British public. When it was Red Bull’s turn to present the new car, the audience added insult to injury. Christian Horner was harshly jeered when he wanted to introduce the car. Although he managed to somewhat deflect the chorus of boos, it was a painful presentation.
Deep-rooted Prejudices
Former Red Bull engineer Adrian Newey emphasized last year that there are persistent prejudices against non-British drivers. As a result, Max Verstappen‘s team receives little support in the United Kingdom. Horner was asked again about Newey’s comments after the presentation. “I don’t know,” he sighed. “I haven’t seen those comments. Besides, I think the problems go much further than last year.”
The booing might also have been related to a previous scandal involving Christian Horner. The 51-year-old Brit was accused of inappropriate behavior last year. If Formula 1 chooses to have a joint presentation evening again in 2026, it remains to be seen whether Red Bull will participate. In an arena full of critics, there is little honor to be gained for the Austrian racing team, which usually organizes the launch of a new car itself.
