Red Bull to “clear the air” before Miami over Verstappen’s journalist incident

Max Verstappen has clarified why he ordered a British newspaper journalist to leave his press conference at the Japanese Grand Prix, as Red Bull moves to defuse tensions surrounding the episode.

The question that sparked the reaction

The original flashpoint dates back to the Spanish Grand Prix, where Verstappen received a 10-second penalty following his collision with Russell. The sanction proved costly, leaving him with a points deficit greater than the two-point margin by which he ultimately finished behind world champion Lando Norris.

When the subject resurfaced in Abu Dhabi, Verstappen reacted angrily, insisting that losing the title was the result of multiple factors. Suzuka marked the first time he had seen the journalist in person since that exchange.

Speaking to Viaplay in Japan, Verstappen stressed that his frustration was not about the substance of the question itself.

"That particular question, I answer like 20 times with different people, so it's not about the question, but after the final race when you ask that and laugh in my face while asking it, it's clearly done with bad intent."

He continued: "It shows a massive lack of respect. When you're not respectful towards me, then I don't need to be respectful towards you. That's how it works in life. For me it's not correct."

A matter of respect

Verstappen underlined that difficult or repetitive questions are part of Formula 1’s media landscape, and not in themselves an issue.

"I get asked a lot of questions," he said, "a lot of stupid questions as well, and I answer them. That's fine. That's part of F1. But in this particular case it was clearly done with bad intent. For me, it was very clear that it was done in a disrespectful way."

The journalist involved, Giles Richards of The Guardian, has since offered his own account, suggesting that his body language may have been misinterpreted.

It is understood that Red Bull does not share Verstappen’s interpretation of the exchange and disagreed with his decision to expel the reporter. The team has reportedly held separate discussions with both Verstappen and Richards in an effort to resolve the matter.

Red Bull keen to draw a line under it

Red Bull is said to be eager to clear the air in the coming days or weeks to ensure there is no lingering fallout. However, Verstappen indicated that now is not the time for direct talks, citing the team’s focus on addressing a disappointing qualifying performance at Suzuka.

Internally, there is an expectation that the situation will be settled before May’s Miami Grand Prix and that similar incidents will not recur in future media sessions.

For Red Bull and its lead driver, the priority is restoring normality — and ensuring that the focus returns to performance on track rather than friction off it.