{"id":584083,"date":"2026-04-05T15:55:28","date_gmt":"2026-04-05T15:55:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/584083\/"},"modified":"2026-04-05T15:55:28","modified_gmt":"2026-04-05T15:55:28","slug":"nascar-insider-rips-f1-driver-max-verstappen-calls-him-baby-after-reporter-ejected-from-media-session","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/584083\/","title":{"rendered":"NASCAR insider rips F1 driver Max Verstappen, calls him ‘baby’ after reporter ejected from media session"},"content":{"rendered":"

Max Verstappen<\/a> is no stranger to controversy. However, his latest run-in with the media has sparked sharp criticism, including from within the NASCAR<\/a> world.<\/p>\n

On the latest episode of The Teardown<\/a>, NASCAR insider Jordan Bianchi<\/a> didn\u2019t hold back while reacting to Verstappen\u2019s decision to have a journalist removed from a pre-race media session ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix. He made his feelings clear.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a baby,\u201d Bianchi said<\/a>. \u201cHe\u2019s being a complete baby. He\u2019s complaining.\u201d<\/p>\n

The incident stemmed from Verstappen refusing to participate in the session until a British reporter, The Guardian\u2019s Giles Richards, left the room. The tension reportedly dates back to a question Richards asked following the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which referenced Verstappen\u2019s controversial penalty for contact with George Russell<\/a>.<\/p>\n

That moment clearly stuck with the four-time world champion. But for Bianchi, Verstappen\u2019s response crossed a line.<\/p>\n

\u201cGod forbid they ask a legit question. \u2026 He didn\u2019t like it, and he threw him out. Stop,\u201d Bianchi added. \u201cBe a professional. Handle your business. Stop pouting.\u201d<\/p>\n

The criticism didn\u2019t stop there. Bianchi also pointed to what he sees as a growing pattern with Verstappen, one centered around frustration with Formula One\u2019s current direction. Whether it\u2019s complaints about regulations or overall enjoyment, Verstappen has been vocal about his dissatisfaction. According to Bianchi, it\u2019s starting to wear thin.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s pouting and saying, \u2018I\u2019m going to take my ball and go home,\u2019\u201d he explained. \u201cIf you don\u2019t like the rules, fine. But don\u2019t take it on other people who are legitimately trying to do their job.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alas, that frustration has even led to speculation about Verstappen\u2019s long-term future in Formula One. While the idea of stepping away from the sport isn\u2019t unprecedented, with drivers like Fernando Alonso taking breaks during their careers, Bianchi questioned what would actually change if Verstappen chose that route.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is going to happen? They\u2019re not going to change the Formula One rules,\u201d he said. Still, the conversation took an interesting turn. Bianchi joked that if Verstappen truly is unhappy, other racing series could see an opportunity.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I\u2019m IndyCar or even NASCAR \u2026 What do we have to do to get him? Could we just write him a blank check?\u201d he said, regarding Verstappen coming to the United States to race.<\/p>\n

All told, Verstappen remains one of the sport\u2019s biggest stars for now, but also one of the most polarizing voices. Moments like this only add to that reputation. As Bianchi made clear, elite talent doesn\u2019t exempt a driver from accountability, especially when it comes to how they handle the spotlight.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Max Verstappen is no stranger to controversy. However, his latest run-in with the media has sparked sharp criticism,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":584084,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[446],"tags":[49,48,634,82],"class_list":["post-584083","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nascar","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-nascar","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/584083","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=584083"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/584083\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/584084"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=584083"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=584083"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=584083"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}