Verstappen refuses to answer questions at post-penalty press conference

Max Verstappen declined to answer questions during the official FIA press conference after qualifying for the Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix. The Dutchman, who qualified second on the grid for Sunday’s race, behind Lando Norris, went into the press room with Norris and Lewis Hamilton, who qualified in P3, will be interviewed by the press and presenter Tom Clarkson.

During Thursday’s press conference, Verstappen used an expletive when talking about set-up changes made to his car at the last race in Azerbaijan, saying the changes “ruined” the car, before Clarkson called him out on his language.

Today, Verstappen made his position clear, stating that he had nothing against the journalists, but suggested that he would speak later, outside of that environment. “I have nothing against you, I will speak about it when I leave this room,” the Red Bull Racing driver declared before leaving the venue. True to his word, the current Formula 1 champion met the journalists shortly after leaving the interview room, on his way to the TV kindergarten.

Verstappen’s behaviour has caught the attention of many, including the special envoy of F1MANIA.NET, Rodrigo França, who was in Marina Bay to cover the Singapore Grand Prix. “I literally saw this from the front row – and I have to admit that in 25 years of covering Formula 1, I have never seen this kind of ‘protest’ be so effective!” commented França, highlighting his surprise at the Dutch driver’s stance.

Despite the uproar, Verstappen kept his word to journalists by chatting briefly on the way to the TV nursery, as promised. However, the brief interaction on the road was not enough to fully explain their displeasure, leaving the exact reason for their dissatisfaction with the beautiful incident up in the air. Many believe that the use of the penalty for inappropriate language was one of the factors that sparked his more reserved attitude towards the press.

F1MANIA.NET follows all the action from the Singapore Grand Prix ‘on-site’ with journalist Rodrigo França.