Max Verstappen has explained that he kicked out a British F1 journalist from his press conference because he “laughed in my face” and acted with “bad intent” last year in Abu Dhabi.
Four-time world champion Verstappen caused a stir on Thursday in Japan after he ordered Guardian journalist Giles Richards to “get out” of his media session.
The controversy stems from a question Richards posed at the last race of last season in Abu Dhabi, as he asked the Dutchman what his thoughts were on his deliberate ram into George Russell in Spain earlier in the season, after he ultimately missed out on the title to Lando Norris by just two points.
Verstappen, 28, took umbrage with the question and accused Richards of having a “stupid grin” as he answered – something Richards has since denied – and the Red Bull driver gave more detail after qualifying 11th for the Japanese GP on Saturday.
“For me, that particular question I think I've answered like 20 times with different people,” he told Dutch broadcaster Viaplay. “So it's not about the question. I always explain it very well with 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.
"So, for me, when you're not respectful towards me, I don't need to be respectful towards you.
“I think that's how it works in life, very straightforward, very simple. And that's why I did that. That's why I did it here on Thursday. For me, it's not correct.
"I have a lot of respect for everyone. I get asked a lot of questions, a lot of stupid questions as well, but I answer them. It's not always that a question is great or whatever, that's part of Formula 1. But this particular case, it was clearly done with bad intent.
"Of course, at that time in Abu Dhabi, you only see the camera pointed at my face, so you don't see what is behind the camera and how people ask questions. For me, it was very clear it was done in a very disrespectful way."
Asked if he would sit down with Richards, Verstappen said: “Not now.”
Richards, for his part, said in a column on Thursday: “I’m not sure I had a stupid grin. I was certainly taken aback by the vehemence of his reply and it might have prompted a nervous smile.
“But I did not think it was funny, nor was I enjoying myself at his expense.”
On-track, Verstappen and his Red Bull team continue to struggle and the Dutchman – who secured pole position at the last four races in Suzuka – did not even make Q3 on Saturday and will line up a lowly 11th on Sunday’s grid. He went on to describe the car as “undriveable.”
Verstappen has made little secret of his disdain for the sport’s new regulations – repeatedly comparing them to Mario Kart – and the four-time world champion said prior to this year that he would walk away if he did not enjoy the rules.
“I am not even frustrated anymore,” said the disconsolate Red Bull driver on Saturday. “I am beyond that.
“I don’t know the right word in English for it. I don’t know what it is in Dutch either. I don’t know what to make of it to be honest. There are probably no words. I don’t get upset about it, and I don’t get frustrated by it anymore with what is going on.
“You know how I think about a lot of the stuff, and I don’t need to mention it again. So, there is a lot of stuff also, for me personally, to figure out.”
Pressed on what he meant, Verstappen added: “Life.” Asked to elaborate further, Verstappen added: “Life here.”
Kimi Antonelli will start on pole ahead of Mercedes teammate George Russell, with Lewis Hamilton down in sixth for Ferrari.
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