F1 | Verstappen: Boycotts FIA conference, but then speaks in paddock

Max Verstappen-FIA 1-0. The game is far from over, but the world champion pulled off a great feat yesterday evening. It all started on Thursday, in the usual FIA press conference. Speaking about his Baku weekend, Verstappen said he noticed the problems his car was having in the first laps he completed in qualifying, difficulties due to a setup choice made in extremis after the last free practice session. “I understood that the car was screwed,” Max summed up, underlining the impossibility of changing the set-up in view of the race as the cars were in parc fermé.

The FIA ​​did not like the expression, and on Friday a procedure was launched against Verstappen due to the inappropriate language. Max was summoned by the stewards and was sanctioned with the obligation to carry out work of public interest, that is, to participate in seminars that the International Federation organizes for the stewards or to spend a race weekend in a college of stewards that operates in an FIA race.

The Red Bull driver refused to comment on the decision, but after yesterday’s qualifying (which saw Verstappen finish second) Max had to attend the FIA ​​press conference scheduled for the top three classified drivers.

And here Verstappen’s show began. To every question he was asked, Max replied with monosyllables. “What has changed compared to Friday’s negative performance?”. “A lot”, “Are you confident ahead of the race?”. “We’ll see”, “How do you see tomorrow’s start alongside Lando?”. “We’ll find out”.

Then, when asked to go into more detail about the changes made to his car, Max revealed his cards: “I’ll explain it to you later, we’ll talk about it somewhere else”. Verstappen invited journalists to follow him into the paddock at the end of the press conference, confirming that his boycott was not aimed at the media, but at the FIA. After the conference, Max came down from the first floor and returned to the paddock, followed by journalists who formed a group.

“I just find what happened ridiculous,” Max attacked. “I don’t think I insulted anyone, I can understand that you can be more careful, but sometimes you also speak with a certain emotion. It’s ridiculous that they decided to punish me, and I don’t have anything against the stewards, because in the end they apply what the rules say. But I don’t think this is the right direction for this sport.”

“They want to set a precedent,” Max continued, “and they wanted to use me as an example to show everyone. I didn’t curse anyone in particular, I just made a comment about the car, and I repeat, I have nothing against the stewards, I had a good chat with them and I know that the role they occupy requires them to follow the Sporting Code, I think it’s difficult for them too. I would have understood if inappropriate terms had been directed against a person, but in my case it was absolutely not like that, I was talking about my car. It’s ridiculous.”

Verstappen speaks to Hamilton: Lewis stands with Max on anti-FIA stance

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

In the press conference where Verstappen spoke in monosyllabic terms, both Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton were asked for their opinion on the penalty given to Max, and both were very clear. “I really don’t understand, I find it all very unfair,” Lando explained, but Hamilton went further: “It seems like a joke, to be honest. If it happened to me I think I would refuse to serve the penalty and I hope Max is of the same opinion.”