Max Verstappen halted a media session at Red Bull’s hospitality in Suzuka and refused to speak until The Guardian journalist Giles Richards left the room, underscoring continuing tensions with parts of the British media. Verstappen singled Richards out during a scheduled print session, telling him “Get out” and “I’m not speaking before he’s leaving.” After Richards left, Verstappen said, “Now we can start.” The exchange was on the record and included a back-and-forth about whether Verstappen was upset.

The confrontation traced back to a question Richards asked at the 2025 Abu Dhabi season finale about Verstappen’s collision with Mercedes driver George Russell at the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix, the Barcelona clash. That incident drew a 10-second penalty that dropped Verstappen from fifth to 10th in the race, cost him nine championship points and was a factor in Lando Norris winning the 2025 title by two points. Richards told those present he was referring to the earlier Abu Dhabi question; Verstappen has elsewhere called the Barcelona collision a “mistake.”

The episode was reported as another flashpoint in wider friction between Verstappen/Red Bull and some British outlets. Verstappen has previously accused parts of the British media of bias, including saying he had the “wrong passport,” and earlier tensions saw a brief Sky Sports F1 boycott in 2022. Crash.net noted the incident and said it had contacted Red Bull for comment but received no response. Only FIA press conferences are mandatory, and any formal intervention or disciplinary action would be at Red Bull’s discretion.

Sources