Max Verstappen refused to participate in a Formula 1 press conference at Suzuka until Guardian reporter Giles Richards left the room. The Dutch driver stated, “I’m not speaking before he’s leaving,” ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix. The incident stems from tensions over past media coverage.
Max Verstappen, the Formula 1 champion, took a firm stand during a pre-event press conference at Suzuka Circuit ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix. He declined to answer questions until British journalist Giles Richards of The Guardian exited, declaring, “I’m not speaking before he’s leaving.” This action highlights ongoing friction between Verstappen and segments of the British media, which he has accused of bias against him due to his nationality and passport. Verstappen has voiced complaints that 80 to 85% of F1 media is British, leading to unfair reporting on incidents involving him. He raised these issues after securing his fourth world title in Qatar in 2024, amid clashes with McLaren’s Lando Norris. The specific grievance traces back to last year’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix press conference. There, Richards questioned Verstappen about his collision with George Russell at the Spanish Grand Prix, where a 10-second penalty dropped him from potential 10 points to one. Verstappen responded sharply at the time: “You forget all the other stuff that happened in my season. The only thing you mention is Barcelona. I knew that [question] would come. You’re giving me a stupid grin now.” He added, “It’s part of racing at the end. You live and learn.” Broader context includes Verstappen’s 2022 boycott of Sky Sports F1 after a pundit claimed Lewis Hamilton was “robbed” in the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The FIA later attributed that race’s controversial finish to “human error” by former race director Michael Masi, who restarted the race prematurely. Verstappen maintains that coverage of his on-track incidents remains angled against him.
