Mercedes boss Toto Wolff “doesn’t think” Max Verstappen was booed at the Formula 1 season launch in London last week, despite the FIA releasing a statement.
The reigning World Champion’s father Jos has stated that his son will not be attending a similar event in the future, should it be held in England once again.
Verstappen Sr told RaceXpress the alleged booing of Max and Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner was “[not] acceptable”.
But Wolff, who was also at the event to be part of the Mercedes’ launch within the show, has stated he did not hear the driver receive such a negative reception.
“I think, as you say, I don’t think that Max was booed,” Wolff told Sky F1 reporter Craig Slater, who also believed it to be the case.
However, both men agreed that Horner was booed when it was Red Bull’s turn to launch its car, prompting the FIA to speak out – corroborating Verstappen Sr’s version of events – condemning what it called a “tribalist reaction” towards both men, adding: “Max and Christian have both contributed greatly to the sport we love.”
Wolff insists booing shouldn’t spoil ‘mega’ event
But Wolff does not believe that, whatever the reality, the event should now not receive any unfair criticism.
“And we shouldn’t talk an event down that was mega just because one single individual, rightly or wrongly, was booed when he spoke,” he said.
“It was a great event. I mean, the spectators there were great. The presentation of the cars was good. And it sets a new format for the years to come and that is the positive we need to take from that.”
The Austrian and the Red Bull supremo have shared a fractious relationship over the course of the last few seasons, the pair often clashing publicly in the media and on the Netflix series Drive to Survive.
Asked by Slater if he had booed Horner, Wolff joked: “No, I wasn’t booing. There was 15,000 people that did that! It wasn’t necessary that I did.”
READ MORE – FIA condemns booing towards Max Verstappen & Christian Horner at F1 75
