The Red Bull driver halted the start of his press conference when he spotted The Guardian’s Giles Richards in attendance, referencing a question the reporter had asked last year at the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

The exchange unfolded immediately as the session began. Verstappen made it clear he would not proceed unless he left.

“I’m not speaking before he’s leaving,” Verstappen said.

Richards attempted to clarify the situation, responding: “You want me to leave? Yeah. It’s just a question I asked you about in Abu Dhabi.”

Verstappen confirmed the reason for his frustration before ending the discussion.

The confrontation stems from a tense moment following the 2025 season finale, when
Verstappen had narrowly lost the championship to Lando Norris by two points after a dramatic late-season comeback.

Despite clawing back a huge deficit to challenge for the title, one of the pivotal flashpoints in his campaign came at the Spanish Grand Prix.

During that race, Verstappen collided with George Russell after being instructed by his engineer to give the position back following a corner cut.

The incident resulted in a 10-second penalty that dropped the Red Bull Racing driver from fifth to 10th, costing him nine points — a swing that ultimately loomed large in the title fight.

In the Abu Dhabi post-race press conference, Richards directly asked Verstappen whether the clash had played a decisive role in the championship slipping away.

“Max, you lost out to Lando by just two points,” Richards said at the time.

“What do you think now about the incident with George Russell in Spain? Do you regret that looking back in hindsight?”

The question visibly irritated Verstappen during that session.

“You forget all the other stuff that happened in my season,” Verstappen replied.

“The only thing you mention is Barcelona. I knew that would come. You’re giving me a stupid grin now.

“I don’t know. Yeah, it’s part of racing 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, so you can also question that.”

While Verstappen later admitted on Dutch television that the Barcelona clash had been a “mistake,” the lingering frustration resurfaced in Suzuka when Richards appeared in the room.

The Dutch driver ultimately waited for the reporter to leave before continuing with the Japanese Grand Prix media session, bringing an unusually personal edge to Formula 1’s normally controlled press conference environment.