Max Verstappen asked a journalist to leave his press conference at the Japanese Grand Prix on Thursday, with the Dutchman still fuming over a question posed by the journalist in December about an incident that could cost him a fifth straight drivers’ title.
“I’m not talking before he leaves,” Verstappen said as he sat down to take questions in the Red Bull hospitality area at the Suzuka circuit ahead of Sunday’s third race of the season.
Verstappen had already clashed with the journalist following December’s Abu Dhabi season finale after losing the title to McLaren’s Lando Norris by just two points.
The journalist had asked Verstappen if in his hindsight he regretted the incident with Mercedes driver George Russell at the Spanish Grand Prix in June where the Dutchman was given a 10-second penalty which dropped him from fifth to 10th and cost him nine valuable points.
“You’re forgetting all the other things that happened in my season. The only thing you mention is Barcelona. I knew that was coming. You’re giving me a stupid look now,” Verstappen had replied at the time.
“It’s part of the race at the end. You live and learn. The championship is one of 24 rounds. I’ve also had a lot of early Christmas presents given to me in the second half (of the season), so you might as well ask for that,” he added.
