Max Verstappen, nerves shattered at Suzuka: endless bickering with British envoy's

Max Verstappen continues his haunted start to 2026. And, as if his 11th-place finish in Suzuka qualifying (a track on which he was fresh off four pole positions in a row) were not enough, the Red Bull champion continues to be the talk of the town for the fierce spat with a British envoy that has been characterizing the entire Japanese Grand Prix weekend. Since Thursday, the skirmishes between the two have been making the world talk, with a new chapter in the feud taking place on Saturday.

It all goes back as mentioned to the drivers’ press conference held as per tradition on Thursday. Here Verstappen dryly apostrophized Giles Richards, correspondent of the ‘Guardian’. “As long as he’s in the room, I’m not talking. Go away,” were the Dutchman’s words that created a veritable worldwide fuss. Meanwhile, the Red Bull champion experienced another nightmarish Saturday, missing out on access to Suzuka’s Q3 ahead of teammate Isack Hadjar and Arvid Lindblad’s Racing Bulls. But the controversy continued.

“If someone comes to a press conference and laughs in my face, clearly he doesn’t mean well,” Verstappen explained himself, speaking to ‘Viaplay.’I think after the last race in 2025 he completely disrespected me. And if you don’t respect me, why should I respect you? Obviously you can’t tell from the cameras, which only frame me. But that person started laughing, very simply. He had shown up there with malice, I’ve been in Formula 1 long enough to understand what the intentions of those who work there are.”

The events date back, as you can guess, to the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The final stage, in short, of last season-a race in which even Verstappen, as well as Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, could still arithmetically graduate as world champion. Richards himself, however, wanted to clarify his point of view on the querelle.

“I’m not sure that I was smirking stupidly of any kind,” the reporter wrote, obviously in the columns of his ‘Guardian.’ If anything, I may have been surprised by how vehement Verstappen’s response was, that is. And at what point a nervous laugh may have escaped me. But I didn’t think the situation was funny, nor did I want to have fun behind his back.”