Max Verstappen is no stranger to controversy, both on track and away from it. The Dutchman rarely shies away from giving his unfiltered thoughts to the media, whether in relation to a racing incident or regulatory change.
Consistent with this mentality, Verstappen has been one of the most vocal critics of the 2026 regulations.
The 4-time Champion believes the newest generation of cars are against the spirit of Formula 1. Consequently, his voice has been central in the ongoing debate to start the season.
However, Verstappen’s latest clash with a journalist is unrelated to the new generation of cars – but rather an incident from last year’s campaign.
Verstappen refuses to speak until specific reporter leaves
The 2025 season was a difficult one for Red Bull and Verstappen, especially in the early stages. Only after the arrival of Laurent Mekies as team principal (which coincided with a change in approach) did the 28-year-old’s season begin to improve.
His late-season title charge, which only fell a few points short of clinching the title, can be attributed to a near flawless second half to the year.
Before the summer break, however, there were several difficult moments for Verstappen. Arguably the lowest point was at the Spanish GP.
During the Barcelona event, the Dutchman found himself in a skirmish with George Russell. After an initial engagement, he was instructed to let the Mercedes driver pass – with Red Bull anticipating he would receive a penalty otherwise.
Frustrated at this request, Verstappen made contact with Russell as he let the #63 car overtake.
Unsurprisingly, the Mercedes driver was unimpressed by this incident. The FIA responded with a 10-second time penalty, which relegated Verstappen to 10th place.
Since then, the Red Bull driver has taken responsibility for the clash:
“That move itself, and the entire incident, was not good,” he told Viaplay last November, reflecting on his season.
“But that’s also because I care a lot. I could have thought – ‘this car isn’t working anyway, so I let it go’.
“I can’t accept, towards myself, stepping out of the car and knowing that I didn’t give everything.
“Then I get angry with myself, so I can’t drive at 80%… That’s why I was so angry in Barcelona – first with what happened on the straight at the restart, then into Turn 1.
“And then of course, when I was told to give the position back, that’s when everything went red.
“Those moments won’t happen again next year, even if we’re in a similar situation with the car. These are the small things you learn from.”
Verstappen and reporter clash
Returning to today’s incident in Suzuka, Verstappen refused to answer questions in the presence of an English reporter.
In Abu Dhabi last year, this journalist asked the Dutchman about his clash in Spain with Russell. At the time, Verstappen was unhappy at being repeatedly asked about the incident several months after it took place.
The Red Bull driver was irritated at what he described as a “stupid grin” on the journalist’s face when asking about the incident.
When the reporter asked if Verstappen wanted him to leave because of his question from Abu Dhabi, Verstappen confirmed this was the case.
Once the journalist departed, the 4-time Champion said: “Now we can begin.”