"You’re always going to have heroes and villains"- F1's growing popularity one of the key reasons for 'polarized' fan support, feels Red Bull's Christian Horner

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has attributed F1’s growing popularity to the increased polarization among fans and believes that there is “always going to be heroes and villains” in the sport as fans choose sides. Speaking to planetf1 following the Austrian GP, Horner said:

“As Formula 1’s popularity has increased, fan support is polarised, and you see that in other sports. You see that when you get record crowds attending and new audiences coming into the sport. We’re breaking records at every grand prix we go to.”

He added, saying:

“With so many new fans coming into the sport, you’re always going to have heroes and villains from circuit to circuit. In terms of preference for a driver or a team, that is always going to happen.”

Since last year’s controversial season finale, many drivers on the current F1 grid have been subjected to hate, racial abuse, and death threats by fans both on social media and during race weekends.

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen seem to be facing the worst of these behaviors. Verstappen was booed by English fans during the British GP earlier this month, while Dutch fans were seen cheering and celebrating, seemingly at Hamilton’s expense a week later, when he crashed during qualifying in Austria.

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Red Bull joins Mercedes in calling out abusive fans

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has joined Mercedes boss Toto Wolff in calling out abusive fans following the 2022 F1 Austrian GP. After Wolff told abusive fans to “f**k off” and stay home following reports of sexist and racial abuse at the Red Bull ring, Horner voiced his support, saying that abuse and prejudice in any form “has no place” in F1. Speaking to planetf1, he said:

“The one thing that is intolerable is any form of abuse, prejudice, racism, or homophobia.”

“Anything like that doesn’t belong in this sport and we absolutely stand shoulder to shoulder with our colleagues in the pit lane that it doesn’t have any place in this sport.”

The 2022 F1 Austrian GP witnessed abhorrent behavior from some of the fans, who reportedly engaged in sexist and racially abusive behavior towards fellow fans supporting Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton.