Formula 1’s glittering 75th-anniversary launch event took place in London, which pulled together all 10 teams and 20 drivers to unveil each of their liveries for 2025.
Lewis Hamilton represented Ferrari for the first time at an official F1 event, which garnered a lot of support from the fans in attendance at the O2 Arena.
Around 16,000 fans were present at the venue, with a further 4 million watching the online livestream from around the world. Each team was given a moment to unveil their car onstage, with the drivers and team principal talking on stage about the season ahead and what to expect.
There was one moment, however, that stood out for the FIA according to journalist Thomas Maher on BlueSky, that the governing body was unhappy with during the event.
FIA unhappy with fans booing Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Christian Horner
The governing body was reportedly unhappy with how fans booed both Max Verstappen and Christian Horner whenever they were on stage or displayed on the TV images in the venue.
Verstappen did not speak during the event on stage or in interviews outside of media commitments, while Horner was greeted by boos from the audience as he took to the stage to unveil their livery.
“Sources have indicated some unhappiness within the FIA about last nights show at the O2,” wrote Maher.
“No, not because of the FIA themselves being booed, but because of the booing of Max Verstappen and Christian Horner.”
The FIA was also subject to some booing by fans when they were mentioned midway through the show, although FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem was not present at the event.
FIA keen to stamp out online abuse
The FIA has been keen to stamp out any abuse directed towards officials or people involved in motorsport, having recently conducted a study that found online abuse ‘routinely’ targets referees and officials.
Findings in their United Against Online Abuse Campaign showed that there has been a rise in racist and misogynistic abuse online, along with threats and harm towards competitors and families.
Part of the reason why the FIA President has been keen to stop drivers from swearing in official press conferences is due to the link between abuse said by competitors, and the impact it can have on online discourse.
Although the crusade to stop F1 drivers from swearing has been met with hostility, given drivers feel they should be allowed to express themselves without scrutiny.
The FIA has made a number of pledges to help respond to online abuse across sports, including European Commission support and launching an anti-online abuse educational module for students.
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