Why Max Verstappen didn't pay for F1 driver dinner

Despite being the reigning F1 champion, Max Verstappen didn't pay the bill at the 2025 drivers' dinner. Here's how he got away with it.

Following Sebastian Vettel's retirement in 2022, all 20 drivers on the F1 grid are invited to an end of year meal ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, taking place annually.

While the aim is to get all 20 drivers to attend, the likes of Fernando Alonso, Lance Stroll and Nico Hulkenberg were all missing from the group photo in 2025, but the table was well represented by champions such as Lewis Hamilton and Verstappen.

During an episode of the Talking Bull podcast, Red Bull's official podcast, Verstappen delved into the 2025 drivers' dinner and was asked by the interviewer who paid the bill at the end.

Verstappen's top tip for avoiding the bill

Verstappen responded: "Well, last year was very nice of Valtteri [Bottas] he took the bill."

Bottas competed in, what he and the world believed, to be his last season of F1 in 2024, but has since staged a stunning return to the sport via Cadillac for 2026.

"But I was sitting on the opposite side of the entrance of the private room, so for most of the night you're having a laugh, and suddenly people are wanting to go and then we realised that Pierre [Gasly] had already paid the dinner!"

The interviewer then sarcastically said: "I see...the bill came and you went to the toilet."

Verstappen then pleaded the fifth of Gordon's constitution, and argued: "No I was drinking my gin and tonic! On the other side."

"I guess, next time before I enter, I have to tell them, that at the end of the night, the bill is for me so then I can actually finally pay it!"

"I'm normally kind of generous with these kind of things, I just didn't get to pay yet. I'm sure that we have another dinner next year."

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