Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has defended Formula 1’s new pre-season livery launch event after the FIA raised concerns over booing at the event.
The sport’s governing body condemned what it described as “tribalist” booing directed at world champion Max Verstappen and Red Bull team principal Christian Horner during F1 75 last week. The FIA did not refer to the boos which greeted a mention of the federation’s name.
Wolff, who has a long-running rivalry with Horner, laughed off suggestions he joined those who jeered at the Red Bull team boss. “No, I wasn’t booing,” he told Sky. “There was 15,000 people that did that. It wasn’t necessary that I did.”
However he questioned whether Verstappen actually had been booed by the crowd at the O2 arena in London. “I don’t think that Max was booed,” he said, “and we shouldn’t talk an event down that was mega just because one single individual, rightly or wrongly, was booed when he spoke.”
F1 75 was the first time Formula 1 has held a joint livery launch event for its teams. Wolff says they should repeat the spectacle in future seasons.
“It was a great event,” he said. “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.”
Mercedes are due to run their new W16 chassis for the first time at the Bahrain International Circuit today. After his team fell to fourth in the championship last year, Wolff is hopeful Mercedes will close the gap to their rivals this season.
“Maybe there’s more of us this year that can win races. Four of us won [four or more] races, so I hope we can continue a season like this, as competitive and exciting.”
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