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Former Formula 1 driver David Coulthard has admitted he was surprised the FIA chose not to intervene after Max Verstappen asked a British journalist to leave a media session at the Japanese Grand Prix.
The incident, which unfolded at Suzuka during a Red Bull hospitality media engagement, saw the four-time world champion refuse to begin the session until the journalist exited the room. Coulthard believes the governing body’s silence on the matter was notable.
Tensions between Verstappen and The Guardian’s Giles Richards stemmed from an earlier exchange at the 2025 season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. There, Verstappen had narrowly lost the championship to Lando Norris by just two points.
Richards questioned Verstappen about a collision with George Russell earlier in the season that may have influenced the final standings. The Dutchman pushed back firmly.
"You forget all the other stuff that happened in my season. The only thing you mention is Barcelona. I knew that would come," Verstappen said at the time.
"You’re giving me a stupid grin now. I don’t know. Yeah, it’s part of racing at the end. You live and learn. The championship is one of 24 rounds. I’ve also had a lot of early Christmas presents given to me in the second half, so you can also question that."
When the two encountered each other again in Japan, Verstappen made clear he did not wish to proceed with the session if Richards remained present.
Speaking on the Up To Speed podcast, Coulthard offered a measured but critical assessment of Verstappen’s actions.
"Well, I see it this way, it's probably not something that on reflection Max will feel good about because even though he's absolutely right, you don't have to answer the question, it is unusual to ask somebody to leave from that environment," Coulthard said.
He also questioned why the FIA did not respond.
"And I'm actually a little bit surprised the FIA didn't take a stance on it. I didn't see anything that there was any sort of reprimand because basically if he was to say the word s**t in there, he'd get fined."
For Coulthard, the issue was less about Verstappen’s right to refuse a question and more about the precedent set by removing a journalist from an official setting.
Drawing on his own career, Coulthard reflected on the difficulty drivers face when confronted with persistent or pointed criticism.
"And it's very difficult not to take it personally. So I'm sure you don't look at the comments on some of the social feeds because there'll be some who love you and there'll be some that just don't like you, and that's the way it is."
He acknowledged that repeated questioning on specific weaknesses can wear thin, even when legitimate.
"So I certainly did get some criticism, and there was always an underlying, let's say, if they were questioning my qualifying ability, it was a fair question, but of course it wasn't easy to be asked the same question time and time again."
Coulthard maintained that journalists have the right to report and analyse as they see fit, but stressed that drivers are not immune to the emotional weight of public scrutiny.
"It is their right as a journalist to say what they see. But it is difficult not to take it personally. And none of the drivers are exempt from that."
He pointed to rising star Kimi Antonelli as an example of how quickly narratives can shift.
"Right now, Kimi Antonelli is getting all of the praise. Everything. Everyone loves him... But as sure as he's being praised right now, he'll get criticised at some point in the future, especially if he makes some mistakes."
Coulthard also recalled a particularly cutting line written about him during his own career.
"I remember one journalist writing that 'David has an amazing ability to talk about the incident as if he wasn't driving the car at the time'. And it really shocked me because clearly he thought I was just making excuses all the time."
While he later resolved the matter privately, the episode underscored how deeply such criticism can land.
"But it is tough to take that public criticism."
Coulthard’s remarks frame the Suzuka incident as part of a wider tension between elite drivers and the media scrutiny that follows them. While Verstappen may have been within his rights to refuse engagement, the absence of any visible response from the FIA left some observers, including Coulthard, questioning where the boundaries lie in Formula 1’s tightly regulated media environment.
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.