Max Verstappen F1 media meltdown leads to boycott calls

Max Verstappen at Suzuka — Photo: © IMAGO

Formula 1

Max Verstappen media meltdown leads to boycott calls

Verstappen has made headlines after a controversial incident in Japan

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Monday 30 March 2026 21:00

Four-time champion Max Verstappen has caused sports journalists in the UK to suggest F1 reporters should have boycotted the Ducthman's media session at the Japanese Grand Prix after he banished one individual from the briefing.

Verstappen made headlines for all the wrong reasons last week when he expelled Giles Richards, a sports writer for British newspaper The Guardian, from a Red Bull media briefing.

The 28-year-old cited a previous disagreement between the pair as the reason for refusing to speak until he had left the room.

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At the 2025 Abu Dhabi GP, Richards put it to Verstappen that the reason he had lost the drivers' championship to Lando Norris by only two points could have been because of his on-track incident with George Russell at last year's Spanish GP.

Verstappen not only disagreed with this view but was clearly offended by it, proving in Suzuka last week that he has been unable to forgive Richards after their tense interaction last season.

Should F1 reporters be outraged by Verstappen?

A view that has spread across social media as the fallout from Verstappen's controversial actions continues is that the journalists who remained in the media session showed a worrying lack of solidarity with Richards.

One British Football Writer John Cross even posted on 'X' last week: "Few of us tabloids on here have walked out in solidarity with colleagues in similar scenarios."

Following the media meltdown at Suzuka, Tariq Panja (Global Sports Correspondent at The New York Times), Martyn Ziegler (Chief Sports Reporter at The Times) and Rob Harris (Global Sports Correspondent) discussed the situation on the Sport Unlocked podcast, making it clear they would have all left the media session in solidarity with a fellow journalist had they been there.

Looking back on the Verstappen incident, Panja said: "Richards asked Verstappen if he was serious, then Richards left the room, then Verstappen said: 'now we can start'.

Panja then turned to his podcast co-hosts Harris and Ziegler, saying: "Look, I would hope to think that the two of you would leave with me if I was thrown out of a room and we would do that for each other because it's not on is it?

"This person has flown across the world to do his job and he's not been able to do it and the only way this thing works is if everybody leaves, otherwise you'll be picked off one after the other."

Taking in what had been discussed, Ziegler added: "I'm surprised there hasn't been more pushback on Red Bull to apologise."

Reports have spread that Verstappen was called to a meeting with F1 team principal Laurent Mekies on the morning following his banishment of the journalist, but no official statement or apology has been released by Red Bull.

F1 Red Bull Max Verstappen Japanese Grand Prix Suzuka