Source:REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon
[Saba Sports News] Controversy over Max Verstappen expelling a journalist during the Japanese Grand Prix continues to escalate. Former F1 driver and current commentator David Coulthard recently stated publicly that Verstappen might later regret this move, and he also expressed surprise that the FIA had not issued any response.
The incident occurred during a pre-race media session at Suzuka. As Verstappen prepared for an interview, he ordered a reporter to leave the venue. It is reported that the journalist had repeatedly questioned Verstappen over his collision with George Russell at last year’s Spanish Grand Prix. That incident resulted in a 10-second time penalty for Verstappen and was one of the key factors that cost him the world championship by a narrow margin.
Speaking on his latest podcast, Coulthard noted that while drivers have the right to refuse to answer questions, directly telling a reporter to leave is highly unusual in F1. He believes such handling is not ideal in the long run and that the behavior was rather extreme.
In the editor’s view, F1 has always maintained strict standards for conduct. Drivers often face penalties for using inappropriate language in public, yet this direct expulsion of media has drawn no regulatory response, making the standards appear inconsistent. The FIA should take a clear stance on the matter to prevent similar incidents from recurring.