Max Verstappen Explains Why He Shut Down Journalist During Press Conference: “If You Don’t Give Me Respect…”
Max Verstappen is not known for sugarcoating his words, especially when it comes to dealing with the Formula 1 media. When a clip recently surfaced showing the Red Bull driver flat-out dismissing a British journalist during a press conference, it immediately sparked debate. What exactly triggered the famously direct champion to send a reporter packing?
Verstappen set the record straight during the Japanese Grand Prix weekend. According to Verstappen, the issue started with what he thought was a recycled question. The reporter decided to poke the bear with a topic that had already been exhausted during the previous season, testing the Red Bull driver’s patience.
“I got that question quite often last year, and I think I answered it more than twenty times,” Verstappen explained. “So when someone asks that question during the press conference after the last race and also laughs in your face, to me that has to do with a complete lack of respect”. For Verstappen, the media pen operates on a two-way street: “If you don’t give me respect, why would I give you respect?
” SUZUKA, JAPAN – MARCH 28: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (3) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB22 Red Bull Ford on track during final practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Japan at Suzuka Circuit on March 28, 2026 in Suzuka, Japan. (Photo by Alastair Staley/LAT Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202603280188 // Usage for editorial use only // What the Cameras Didn’t Show The altercation, while covered by several media outlets, was completely missed by the television broadcast. Fans watching the press conference at home only saw Verstappen’s visibly annoyed reaction, completely unaware of the journalist’s behavior on the other side of the room.
“You only see the camera pointed at me and not at that person, who just started laughing,” Verstappen pointed out. “And you could clearly see that there was malicious intent behind it at that moment. That is enough for me”.