The F12026 Japanese Grand Prix got off to a wild start with a media standoff. Red Bull star Max Verstappen flat-out refused to begin his pre-race briefing until one journalist left the room.
As soon as Verstappen walked into the Suzuka hospitality suite and saw Giles Richards from The Guardian, he stopped in his tracks.
He didn't beat around the bush. "I'm not speaking before he's leaving," Verstappen said, his tone ice-cold. For a moment, nobody moved. The room went quiet. Richards tried to ask why Verstappen was suddenly so hostile, but the Dutch driver cut him off, making it crystal clear: "Get out."
The Abu Dhabi Grudge: Why Verstappen Targeted The Guardian
This whole mess started with the wild finish to the 2025 F1 season. In Abu Dhabi, Verstappen came up just short, losing the title to Lando Norris by two points. And right after that, Richards grilled Verstappen about his run-in with George Russell back in Spain. The journalist claimed the penalty from that crash-those nine points-cost Verstappen the championship.
The Belgian racer didn't take it well. He shot back, saying Richards was ignoring everything he'd accomplished, just to harp on one mistake, and called out his "stupid grin." You can tell Verstappen hasn't let it go. Now, at the Japanese Grand Prix in 2026, he's picked his moment to get even: he's personally banned Richards from talking to him.
Red Bull Under Fire Amid Verstappen’s Media Warfare
This face-off with the media happens at a very delicate moment for Red Bull Racing. Verstappen has had a horrible start to the 2026 season, after a DNF in China that has put him in eighth position in the standings – far behind the super-fast Mercedes drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli.
On top of that, Lewis Hamilton is doing well at Ferrari, and that has made Verstappen very angry about the new 50/50 power unit regulations. Even though he has said that the current cars are like “Mario Kart, ” his not talking to the British media shows that the team is under a lot of pressure while they are having a hard time getting their dominance back on the grid.