Max Verstappen and the Question He Couldn't Let Go

Originally published on Substack. Cross-posted here for Beehiiv readers.

It has not been a good start to Max Verstappen’s season, to say the least. The Dutchman has scored only 12 points in the first three rounds, his worst points haul since his 2015 rookie year at Toro Rosso. He has repeatedly called out the new regulations as “anti-racing”, likened the new boost mechanics to playing Mario Kart, and even admitted that he’s questioning whether continuing in F1 was “worth it”.

But that’s not why Verstappen made headlines in Suzuka. Instead, the media frenzy surrounding him centers on a certain incident on media day. I’m sure you know exactly what I’m talking about, but here’s a summary for the uninitiated:

During a media session at the Red Bull hospitality suite, Verstappen singled out Guardian reporter Giles Richards, saying he would not begin until Richards left. Richards asked if it was because of a question he asked after the 2025 Abu Dhabi race. Verstappen said yes. When Richards asked if he was really still that upset about it, Verstappen's response was simple: “Get out. Yeah. Get out.” Richards' colleagues were, by his own account, universally shocked at the altercation.

The question, well, in question was asked by Richards shortly after the end of Abu Dhabi, where Verstappen fell just two points short of claiming a fifth consecutive World Drivers’ Championship. To some, Richards probably included, it was inoffensive enough: What are his thoughts on his altercation with George Russell during the Spanish Grand Prix? An altercation that not only gave the Dutchman a 10-second penalty but could have cost him the entire championship? Did he regret it?

Verstappen did not take it well, to put it mildly:

Since the news of Richards’ ejection, the internet has been rife with fights and flame wars over who was in the right. Some praised Verstappen for setting boundaries with the media, drawing comparisons to another media-averse celebrity recently dragged by the press over something she wasn't even involved in. Others called Verstappen a brat or immature for seeming to kick out a journalist over a question he didn’t like. Some press members advocated for a boycott of Verstappen’s conferences, but others online claimed he had good reason to be distrustful of the media.

I want to offer a take not exactly in the middle, but somewhere more complicated than either camp is willing to go. For the record, I’m technically in both camps. I not only greatly respect Verstappen as a driver, but I’m also someone who, fun fact, does local journalism as part of her day job.

That take? Verstappen is in the wrong for ejecting Richards. But his anger at Richards and the media in general is understandable.

It‘s no secret that Verstappen’s relationship with the media can be contentious. In 2018, he threatened to “headbutt someone” after being repeatedly asked about his reputation for crashing, with the outlet pushing the issue being the Daily Mail. Four years later, he boycotted Sky Sports during the Mexico Grand Prix over what he said was “disrespectful” coverage. And two years after that, in Brazil, he used his victory press conference after one of the best drives in his career to call out what he described as “biased people” in the paddock. It was a barely veiled reference to Damon Hill and Johnny Herbert, both of whom had been publicly critical of his driving that season.

You might have noticed a pattern in the above history. The Daily Mail and Sky Sports are both British outlets. Damon Hill and Johnny Herbert are both British broadcasters who were drivers (with Herbert having the added distinction of being a then-FIA Steward, though that conflict of interest is for another time). In fact, almost every example I could find of motorsports journalists seemingly having it out for Verstappen came from the British Isles. Verstappen himself even told Dutch media it seemed like he had “the wrong passport” in the paddock ahead of the aforementioned Brazilian race, which, coincidentally, had no British reporters at his post-race press conference.

So let’s flash back to the 2025 post-race press conference in Abu Dhabi. What about Giles Richards and his question was it that made Max react the way he did? Maybe it was the fact that Richards writes for The Guardian, a British news outlet. Or maybe that he asked his question right after Verstappen lost the title to Lando Norris, a British driver for a British team. Or maybe that the Barcelona incident in question involved fellow British driver George Russell.

And it’s not like Verstappen doesn’t have a reason to be distrustful of the British press. He boycotted Sky Sports in 2022 because of reporter Ted Kravitz, who said on air that Hamilton had been “robbed” of the 2021 championship, implying Verstappen's first title was illegitimate. Hamilton, you guessed it, is also British. That’s not even mentioning the advert Sky Sports ran during the 2021 holiday season, which used slow-motion footage of a crash between Hamilton and Verstappen that sent the latter to the hospital, set to a Merry Christmas message. An advert so controversial that Sky Sports ended up apologizing for it for being tasteless.

When a journalist from the very country that called your maiden championship robbed asks you a question like Richards’, you're going to have your guard up. But that doesn’t mean Verstappen was right to eject him.

Reporting can be difficult sometimes. I’m not saying that in a “people get mad when I attempt to interview them” way, but rather in a “there are instances where you have to ask someone you respect questions that are difficult, or they might not like” way. I’ve even seen this firsthand during my day job, with businesses and even local government agencies holding grudges about critical stories years after the fact. That, in turn, can make it more difficult for journalists to reach them.

Giles Richards must have certainly felt that duality when Verstappen ejected him. By his own account, he has interviewed the Dutchman several times over his 10-year career, noting his friendly nature and “outstanding” talent. I even found some of his articles about Verstappen on the Guardian’s website, and saw a lack of overt criticism on his part. He has praised Verstappen before for stellar driving, like his record-breaking win at Monza last year, and his iconic win from P17 in Sāo Paulo the year before that. Even his analysis of the aforementioned Barcelona incident, while critical, was balanced. While he said there wasn’t any justification for the Dutchman’s “rash and futile act of retribution,” he also acknowledged Verstappen's broader qualities, calling him an “exceptional driver, a generational talent” whose legacy depended on him being more than that one moment.

That’s not to say we can assume Richards’ intent when he asked the question in Abu Dhabi. Maybe he did have a “stupid grin” on his face when he asked Verstappen about Barcelona. Maybe he was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. We’ll never know for sure. But we do know Verstappen wasn’t alone in receiving a question like that, as Oscar Piastri was asked a very similar question about his own failure to clinch the championship.

Asking those questions is never easy, but it’s part of the job. Without them, journalists would be doing a disservice to the people who follow F1 coverage. You can’t praise a driver for his skills on the track without calling him out for moments of bad sportsmanship or deliberate missteps. Hell, I did so with Oscar Piastri last season, calling his dangerous braking at Silverstone reckless while praising his “ruthlessly economical” driving that earned him first place at Zandvoort almost two months later.

Our respect for the drivers and their talent is genuine, but that doesn’t mean they are immune to criticism. Allowing drivers to eject journalists for asking them difficult questions sets a precedent that should concern anyone who values a free press.

Verstappen’s grievances with the press are real and warranted, but his acting on them by ejecting a journalist whose intent we cannot know is crossing a line. The people on the internet calling him rude and a brat are ignoring those grievances, which, need I remind you, included calling his first championship illegitimate and using footage of one of his worst crashes as a Christmas greeting. But the people praising Verstappen are avoiding the fact that Richards wasn't demonstrably acting in bad faith. He was just doing his job, regardless of his intent with the Abu Dhabi question.

Again, I must stress that I greatly respect Verstappen as a driver. You can see that for yourself in countless editions of my silly race recaps. I understand why he doesn’t like the British press, but I still think he’s in the wrong here. And if he ends up unhappy at what I’ve written here, so be it. I’ll still respect him, just like Giles Richards is.

That’s all for now. See you next time.

-F