British media accused of anti-Verstappen bias after journalist kicked out

Verstappen with the British flag — Photo: © IMAGO

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British media accused of anti-Verstappen bias after journalist kicked out

Max Verstappen has kickstarted a debate about the behaviour of F1 journalists

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Thursday 2 April 2026 09:59

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A former F1 star close to four-time champion Max Verstappen has claimed the sport's media favour British drivers after a controversial incident took place between the Dutchman and a British reporter.

Last weekend marked the last race of the F1 2026 championship until May 3, with the calendar forced to take a break after both the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix were cancelled due to ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

And with over a month to go until F1 returns, the sport's media will be left with plenty of time to unpack what was a chaotic week for Verstappen at the Japanese GP.

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In the space of one race weekend, Verstappen questioned his future in the sport, had Dutch media reporting that he was 'seriously considering' retirement and was knocked out of Q3 by Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad before only managing to finish Sunday's race down in P8.

But before the 28-year-old had even made it out onto the track at Suzuka, he was the talk of the paddock for all the wrong reasons after kicking a British journalist from The Guardian out of a Red Bull media briefing.

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Why did Verstappen banish British journalist from Suzuka session?

Verstappen and The Guardian journalist Giles Richards clashed at last year's season finale when the Brit suggested the Dutchman had lost the title to Lando Norris by two points because of his controversial on-track interaction with George Russell at the 2025 Spanish GP.

The Red Bull star responded at the time, saying: "You forget all the other stuff that happened in my season. The only thing you mention is Barcelona, I knew that would come... Are you giving me a stupid grin now?"

Upon seeing Richards again in the media briefing at Suzuka last week, Verstappen said: "I won't begin until he's gone," bringing last year's tension back into the frame.

In Richards' report of how events unfolded at Suzuka last week, the reporter revealed: "I asked if it was because of the question in Abu Dhabi. He said it was. Once more I was taken aback. I might have had a nervous grin again, who knows?

"I asked him to confirm if it was because of the question in Abu Dhabi about Spain. He did. 'You’re really that upset about it?' I asked, to which he replied: 'Get out. Yeah. Get out.'"

The driver's decision to kick the journalist out has triggered backlash from reporters and media professionals around the world, with Verstappen's team principal Laurent Mekies said to have summoned his driver to explain himself after causing an embarrassment.

But there is one individual who is seemingly on Verstappen's side, and that is Nelson Piquet Jr. The Brazilian is a former F1 driver, son of three-time champion Nelson Piquet, and the brother of Kelly Piquet, Verstappen's partner.

Does F1 media suffer from British bias?

In a clip from the Pelas Pistas podcast, Piquet Jr gave his assessment of the F1 media that have clashed with Verstappen time and time again throughout his career, going as far to suggest once again that the journalists are guilty of having a British bias.

"Everyone in the world knows that the majority of journalists are British," the former Renault driver began.

"They favour the British drivers like Lando [Norris], Hamilton, ultimately all the English. This is something that is normal in F1, because it is a sport that the majority of teams are in England.'"

Verstappen himself previously spoke out against British bias in the sport, saying he felt he was a victim of biased coverage at times after his controversial last lap overtake on Lewis Hamilton that saw him clinch his first drivers' title at the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP.

Written by

Kerry Violet - F1 News Editor

Having graduated from the University of Sheffield with a 2:1 in Journalism in 2022, Kerry continued her pursuit of finding a full-time position in motorsport through work with the F1 Arcade in London, where she got to meet true fans of the sport and make a live grand prix watch party memorable for them. It was here that she confirmed her dream of combining her background in journalism and love of motorsport, going on to volunteer with the female-led platform Empoword Journalism. Having completed stints as a screen editor and sports editor, Kerry landed her first F1-specific editorial role with GPFans and has thoroughly enjoyed continuing to work closely with the sport ever since. The access GPFans offers Kerry has allowed her to interview big names such as Naomi Schiff and David Coulthard and given her experiences she could only have dreamt of as a young F1 fan.

View full biography

F1 Red Bull Max Verstappen Japanese Grand Prix Suzuka