Max Verstappen’s outburst at the Japanese Grand Prix is a fresh warning for Red Bull
Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP via Getty Images Red Bull might need to take notice of Max Verstappen’s anger after a difficult start to 2026, especially following his decision to remove a reporter from his Japanese Grand Prix press conference. The situation unfolded on Thursday at Suzuka when Verstappen refused to begin his media session until a particular journalist had left the room. The Dutchman told them to “get out,” holding onto frustration from questions that were asked after the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Verstappen hasn’t let go of the incident, which was linked back to a question about whether his penalty for an intentional collision with George Russell during the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix contributed to losing that year’s title race to Lando Norris. The Dutchman received a 10-second penalty in Spain for turning into Russell at Turn 5 on Lap 64 of 66. He was already frustrated with Red Bull at that point, having been asked by the team just three laps earlier to give P4 back to Russell—a call Verstappen didn’t agree with.
What did Max Verstappen say as he kicked a journalist out at the Japanese Grand Prix? The penalty that Verstappen received in the 2025 Spanish GP demoted him from fifth place at the finish to P10 in the final classification, costing him nine points. Norris ultimately won the title last year by just two points over Verstappen to take the Briton’s first championship.
It was obvious that Verstappen would be asked whether he felt crashing into Russell in the 2025 Spanish GP cost him the title to Norris. Yet 109 days on from the 2025 Abu Dhabi GP, Verstappen still has a grudge against the reporter who asked him a very obvious question. “I’m not speaking before he leaves,” Verstappen stated at the start of his pre-event presser at the Japanese GP after spotting the journalist, via quotes by RacingNews365 .
“Seriously? ” the reporter replied, to which Verstappen stated: “Yep. ” “Because of the question last year?