Last Updated on March 28 2026, 10:21 am

The Dutchman had a surprisingly difficult qualifying session for the Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka on Saturday, failing to progress beyond Q2, one of his most underwhelming performances in recent memory. However, the drama in Japan didn’t start on the track, and it appears that perhaps there were consequences from an ill-fated incident on Thursday before any car turned a wheel.

In what should have been another routine media session at the Japanese Grand Prix on Thursday quickly spiralled into one of the most awkward and controversial moments of the 2026 Formula 1 season. Usually unflappable in front of the press, Max Verstappen instead found himself at the centre of a media storm, and later on the receiving end of a firm internal reprimand from Red Bull Racing.

The fallout has been significant for both Verstappen’s public image and the delicate relationship between drivers and the media in Formula 1.

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‘Blindsided’ in Suzuka

The controversy erupted during an official FIA press conference at Suzuka, where journalists gather to question drivers ahead of the race weekend. Among them was Giles Richards, a seasoned Formula 1 correspondent with over a decade’s experience of covering the sport.

What happened next stunned the room.

Upon noticing Richards, Verstappen reportedly refused to answer any more questions unless the journalist left. This placed the organisers in an immediate dilemma: should they comply with the driver’s request or uphold the integrity of the press environment? Ultimately, the situation became deeply uncomfortable, with Richards effectively being singled out in front of his peers.

Richards later described himself as ‘blindsided’ in a reaction article published by the Guardian on Friday, stating that in all his years of covering Formula 1, he had never been asked to leave a press conference before. The exchange itself may have been brief, but its implications were far-reaching.

Colleagues in attendance were equally stunned, with several reporters said to be ‘completely shocked’ by Verstappen’s behaviour, a reaction that emphasised just how unusual the incident was in the tightly controlled world of Formula 1 media relations.

 

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The Question That Lingered

At the heart of the dispute lies an incident from the 2025 season that clearly left a lasting mark on Verstappen.

Following the dramatic season finale in Abu Dhabi, Richards asked the Dutch driver whether his actions earlier in the year might have contributed to him losing the title. Specifically, the question referenced a controversial clash with George Russell at the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona.

By most journalistic standards, it was a fair question. However, it was not one that Verstappen took kindly to — then or now.

According to Richards, the Suzuka incident was a direct continuation of that earlier exchange. While their previous interactions had generally been respectful, the tone had clearly shifted. What had once been professional rapport had seemingly turned into lingering resentment.

 

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Flashpoint in Barcelona

To understand Verstappen’s reaction, it is necessary to revisit the incident in Spain that continues to cast a shadow.

During the race in Barcelona, Verstappen became embroiled in a heated on-track battle with Russell. The situation escalated when his team instructed him to give up his position — an instruction he refused to obey.

What happened next only intensified the controversy.

As Russell attempted to overtake, Verstappen made contact in a move that was widely criticised as overly aggressive. The stewards agreed, handing Verstappen a penalty that dropped him down the order. He eventually finished tenth, which proved costly in the tightly contested championship battle that followed.

Those lost points proved decisive. By the end of the season, Verstappen had narrowly missed out on the title, and the Spanish Grand Prix had become a focal point in the analysis of where it all went wrong.

Perhaps it is no surprise, then, that any reminder of that moment still strikes a nerve.

 

MORE NEWS – Verstappen vs. the Press: Giles Richards Speaks Out After Suzuka Clash

 

Red Bull struggles on track in Suzuka

While the off-track drama grabbed the headlines, Verstappen’s frustrations had been building in Suzuka long before the incident at the press conference.

The Dutchman endured a surprisingly difficult qualifying session, exiting in Q2, one of his most underwhelming performances in recent memory.

The four-time world champion could only manage 11th on the grid, over a second adrift of Kimi Antonelli’s benchmark time. More concerning for Red Bull Racing was the intra-team comparison: Verstappen was beaten by his teammate, Isack Hadjar, for the second time in just three race weekends.

This was in stark contrast to Verstappen’s exploits during the week at the Nürburgring, where he had won in a Mercedes-AMG GT3 before being disqualified post-race for a tyre infringement, something that had enraged the Dutchman, sources near to Verstappen have said to this website earlier in the week.

In that context, his visible frustration at the press conference begins to make more sense, even if it does not excuse the manner in which it was expressed.

 

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Red Bull car ‘undrivable’ in Suzuka

During qualifying, Verstappen told the team over the radio and later told the media that his car was ‘undrivable’. His car had upgraded aerodynamics compared to that of his young teammate, and clearly the upgrade was not working well.

Rather than anger, his tone conveyed resignation. He suggested that the RB machinery, particularly through Suzuka’s high-speed sections, simply wasn’t performing.

Despite feeling slightly more optimistic after final practice, he quickly lost confidence once qualifying began. Verstappen complained that his car was sliding excessively while simultaneously lacking rotation mid-corner, a combination that left him unable to tackle laps with confidence.

The underlying concern ran deeper than a single session. Verstappen openly admitted that the team’s current issues might be worse than last season’s, suggesting that certain components, possibly as part of the upgrade aero package, were not performing as expected.

On a circuit like Suzuka, where precision and balance are paramount, such weaknesses are brutally exposed.

 

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Red Bull steps in, reprimanding Max Verstappen

Just prior to Verstappen’s qualifying debacle, a German newspaper revealed details of the fallout from the press conference, which was still reverberating around the paddock on Saturday.

It appears that Verstappen’s actions in Suzuka did not go down well with his team.

According to reports from Bild, Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies summoned his star driver for a private meeting on Friday morning. The message was clear: regardless of personal grievances, Verstappen’s conduct during the press conference was unacceptable.

The meeting reportedly gave Verstappen the opportunity to explain his side of the story. However, Mekies ultimately made it clear that excluding a journalist from an official FIA setting crossed a line in terms of both professionalism and team standards.

Red Bull senior management had grave concerns about maintaining a good public image, managing relationships with the media and ensuring that its drivers appropriately represent the team on the global stage.

 

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“An Extremely Rare Incident”

Richards later reflected on the episode with a mixture of surprise and concern.

“I have never been asked to leave a press conference before,” he said, describing the situation as ‘an extremely rare occurrence’ in Formula 1. Indeed, instances of journalists being singled out in such a manner are almost unheard of in the modern era.

The reaction extended beyond the paddock. Within hours, Richards reported receiving a deluge of abusive emails, a phenomenon that has become all too common in the social media age. Choosing not to engage, he admitted that he had avoided checking platforms such as X, fully expecting further hostility.

It seems clear that Verstappen’s Suzuka controversy was a rare lapse in composure, but one with tangible consequences. Red Bull’s prompt response seems to suggest that the team is determined to set boundaries and prevent such incidents from becoming a pattern. Perhaps expecting more problems in performance as the season progresses.

One cannot help but think that distractions such as Thursday’s and Friday’s reprimand must have had a performance impact on the Dutchman on Saturday.

 

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NEXT ARTICLE – Report: Hulkenberg reveals “fundamental problem” led to Audi F1 boss departure

One of the more bizarre Formula One happenings took place in the week leading top to the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix. Jonathan Wheatley, the team principal, left the new F1 outfit with immediate effect. Wheatley was a lifer at Milton Keynes, fulfilling the role of sporting director for many years. He was credited with why Red Bull Racing was such a slick operation trackside and his knowledge of the sporting regulations put certain F1 race directors to shame.

Yet the ‘call up higher’ came from Audi in August 2024 and given his loyalty to the Milton Keynes based organisation an exit with minimal garden leave was expedited. Clearly, Red Bull would not stand in the way of one of their own having been offered the top job at another team.

Wheatley’s impact at Audi was immediate

Wheatley joined Sauber in March 2025 to oversea the impending transition to becoming the Audi works F1 team. He and his wife moved to Switzerland where the production facility for Sauber is located and all seemed rosy in the garden.

Wheatley’s arrival had an immediate effect on the race team as their pitstop procedures became more polished and in Barcelona Sauber delivered the quickest pit stop of all during the Spanish Grand Prix. He recruited key staff members and led a cultural shift in the Swiss based outfit to one of “continuous improvement” together with higher performance standards.

The impact of Wheatley was also seen in the team’s results. The C45 became a more predictable car for its drivers and as the season progressed Nico Hulkenberg became a regular points finisher. The highlight of the season was at the British Grand Prix when the German driver finally broke his podium duck after 239 races – the most by a driver in history without making the top three in a Grand Prix.

In November 2025, Wheatley described being “very happy” with his life in Switzerland and even proposed the idea that Audi approach Max Verstappen to become one of their drivers. With…CONTINUE READING THIS STORY