Verstappen’s press conference stunt shows he is becoming one of F1’s greats
Max Verstappen’s performance in the post-qualifying press conference at the Singapore Grand Prix was one of those moments which might yet come to define the season.
The Formula 1 world champion gave one- or two-word answers to questions posed by the media after he had qualified in second place for the race at the Marina Bay circuit.
It quickly became apparent this was in protest at having been served with a punishment by the FIA for swearing in a Thursday press conference.
Once aware, journalists asked how long he would maintain this stance of not giving full answers, and at one point he told the media in the room to ask him outside.
He held court in the paddock, taking questions where he answered in full and with honesty – once he was out of the FIA-run, and crucially filmed, press conference.
For many, it would be easy to claim it as petulant behaviour. Throwing his toys out of his pram for being issued with community service order after he had said his “car was f*****” live on TV.
Watch: Verstappen stages his own Press Conference in protest of the FIA – F1 Singapore GP Updates
They could also point out that his most recent behaviour defied that of a world champion, as he was now setting an even-worse example for his young fans.
However, it should be argued that this was exactly the performance of how a world champion should act. In fact, it goes beyond F1 and is relevant to all sports stars.
Earlier in the week, I had explained how swearing should not be punished and that raw emotion is part of the fabric of why we love sport so much.
This was another example of that emotion. Verstappen feels aggrieved and he is displaying it – there is nothing wrong with that.
It was also smart and not childish. Crucially, Verstappen was able to identify the source of his frustration was the FIA and so he would not perform in its press conference.
He did the minimum requirement by answering questions, albeit with short answers, so as not to trigger any further punishment.
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Photo by: Ben Hunt
The fact he held his own impromptu press conference in the paddock afterwards shows that he has the presence of mind to know that it was not, as is often made out to be the case, the media to blame.
This points to a driver, who throughout his career has been accused of being too aggressive or too brash, that is now coming of age. It was the perfect, controlled response to a ridiculous punishment from the FIA.
It comes during a season which has seen him placed at the centre of a tug of war between his father Jos Verstappen and Red Bull boss Christian Horner, with the former lobbing grenades in the direction of the latter following an internal investigation.
He has seen his advantage in the championship reeled in as McLaren now has the quicker car while his own team has struggled for form and the wins have dried up.
All the while, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has almost-incessantly spoken about Verstappen in an attempt to lure him across to his team in what had become a dizzying – and somewhat bizarre – fascination in the Dutchman.
This latest obstacle in the form of the FIA punishment could have been the final straw and caused him to blow his top, but Verstappen didn’t. He played it smart and in my opinion has his integrity still in place and that points to someone who is maturing.
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20
Photo by: Erik Junius
The Verstappen we see today is not the same as the one was saw in 2021 when he won his first title in controversial circumstances, or indeed ’22 or ’23 when he went largely unchallenged while still with a degree of petulance.
This is now a different Verstappen who is behaving in exactly the same way as some of the great F1 champions before him. And, at the risk of upsetting the FIA, if he does indeed win the championship this year, then he’d f****** deserve it.
