McLAREN boss Zak Brown has defended the booing of rival boss Christian Horner and world champion Max Verstappen at Formula One’s season launch in London.

Both Red Bull team principal Horner and his driver, Verstappen, were subjected to jeers at the O2 Arena by the British crowd.

The International Automobile Federation (FIA), F1’s governing body, who were also targeted with booing, moved to condemn the “tribalist” reaction, while standing up for Horner and Verstappen for “contributing greatly to the sport we love.”