Max Verstappen tells all on Japanese Grand Prix controversy that saw him expel journalist

Max Verstappen, Red Bull, China, 2026 — Photo: © IMAGO

Formula 1

Max Verstappen tells all on Japanese Grand Prix controversy that saw him expel journalist

Max Verstappen kicked out a journalist at the Japanese Grand Prix

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Saturday 28 March 2026 21:03

Max Verstappen made headlines at the Japanese Grand Prix when he expelled an F1 journalist from his media session.

On Thursday, Verstappen refused to start his media session until Giles Richards, who writes for British publication The Guardian, had left the room, following a question previously posed at the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix back in December.

Verstappen told Richards to 'get out', and would not begin talking to the other journalists until he was out of the room.

Article continues under video

It led to a mixed reaction from fans and other journalists alike, who criticised Verstappen for the move.

The disagreement was understood to have come from a question from Richards back in December that centred around Verstappen's intentional crash into the side of George Russell at the Spanish GP earlier that year, which Richards put to Verstappen could have been what caused him to miss out on the title by just two points.

Verstappen explains himself

Now, Verstappen has fully explained himself in a separate interview with Dutch media.

"That particular question I think I've answered like 20 times with different people," Verstappen told Viaplay after Japanese GP qualifying.

"So it wasn't about the question, I always explained it very well about the thought process and what happened back then but after the final race when you ask that question and you start laughing in my face while asking the question and it's clearly done with bad intent to ask the question at that point, it shows a massive lack of respect.

"For me when you're not respectful towards me then I don't need to be respectful towards you. I think that's how it works, life, it's very straightforward, very simple and that's why I did that.

"For me it's not correct, I have a lot of respect for everyone, and I get asked a lot of questions, stupid questions as well but I answer them. That's fine. It's not always that the question is great or whatever but that's part of Formula 1.

"In this particular case, it was clearly done with bad intent and of course at that time in Abu Dhabi, the camera is pointed in my face, so you don't see what is behind the camera and how people ask questions, and for me it was very clear that it was done in a very disrespectful way."

F1 Red Bull Max Verstappen Japanese Grand Prix