Max Verstappen stated he has no problem holding his own media sessions instead of participating in FIA press conferences, where he feels restricted from being himself. This comes after Verstappen faced criticism from the governing body at the Singapore Grand Prix, receiving a penalty for using profanity during the FIA press conference on Thursday. As a result, the Dutch driver chose not to engage in the mandatory press conferences following his top-three finishes.Max Verstappen: It’s super silly what we’re dealing with
Verstappen was ordered to carry out work “in the public service” after using the expletive, resulting in many of his fellow drivers poking fun at the situation as they kept referring to being aware of what language they used while speaking publicly.
Max Verstappen’s punishment is likely to involve participating in an educational activity, similar to when his team principal, Christian Horner, attended the annual race stewards’ training meeting in 2022.
Rather than addressing questions directly in the FIA press conferences—where he clarified that his reluctance was not directed at host Tom Clarkson—Verstappen opted to host his own media sessions after qualifying and the race. After finishing second at Marina Bay, he expressed his frustration with the FIA’s decision to penalize him for his language.
“I think it’s just the wording and the direction the sport is taking. Personally, I understand that you can’t insult people—that’s straightforward, and no one wants to do that,” he remarked. “But honestly, it feels a bit too soft. It’s really silly what we’re dealing with.”
Verstappen emphasized that such restrictions hinder drivers from being genuine, stating, “If you can’t truly be yourself, it’s better not to speak at all. No one wants that because then you end up sounding like a robot, which isn’t how this sport should operate.”
The reigning F1 World Champion also mentioned that he shared the steward’s ruling regarding his punishment with the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, which prompted laughter among his peers. “When I wrote about the ruling in the GPDA, everyone was basically like, ‘What the hell is that?’ It’s very, very silly.”
Verstappen didn’t dismiss the idea of maintaining this approach for the remainder of the season, suggesting he might fulfill his FIA press conference obligations but then engage with the media on his own terms. “I don’t know. I don’t mind doing this (media scrum); it works well for me,” he said. “You should be able to express emotions—that’s part of racing, and really, any sport. It’s normal to have reactions when things happen on the field.”
He concluded by stating he wasn’t sure how the situation would be resolved, adding, “I don’t want to go into too much detail, or I might get called back up again!”
Max Verstappen: These kind of things will decide my future
Verstappen, who is contracted with Red Bull until the end of the 2028 F1 season, has consistently expressed that his primary motivation in the sport is his enjoyment of racing. Frustrated by being reprimanded for what he considered a trivial issue, he indicated that such incidents could influence his decision to remain in F1.
“These types of things definitely impact my future, especially when you can’t be yourself or have to deal with these silly matters,” he stated. “At this point in my career, I don’t want to constantly deal with this. It’s really tiring.”
He acknowledged that while achieving success and winning races is fantastic, having accomplished so much, he also wants to enjoy the experience. “Everyone is pushing to their limits, even those at the back of the grid. But if I have to face these kinds of trivial issues, that’s not a way I want to continue in the sport.”
Verstappen also received some backing from Lewis Hamilton, who expressed his hope that Verstappen would disregard the FIA’s ruling.
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