A journalist who was ejected from a Japanese Grand Prix media session, at the order of Max Verstappen, wrote that they are \u2018deeply disappointed\u2019 over the ordeal.<\/p>\n
Verstappen<\/a> had refused to begin the session while The Guardian\u2019s Giles Richards was in the room. It traces back to a George Russell-related question towards the end of the 2025 season. Richards has since revealed he has since received abuse via email in the aftermath.<\/p>\n Max Verstappen journalist ejection after Suzuka incident<\/p>\n Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a> for news you can trust.<\/p>\n On Thursday ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix, Verstappen met with reporters at Red Bull hospitality for his media session, a regular event for the drivers going into a race weekend.<\/p>\n However, he made it clear that he would not begin the session until one specific journalist had left<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not speaking before he\u2019s leaving,\u201d said Verstappen, as he identified Richards.<\/p>\n It was at the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix that Richards had asked Verstappen whether he regretted his controversial collision with George Russell at that year\u2019s Spanish Grand Prix. It was that question on which Verstappen based his Suzuka request upon.<\/p>\n Telling Richards to \u201cget out\u201d as part of the exchange between them, the individual did indeed leave, and Verstappen declared \u201cnow we can start\u201d.<\/p>\n In a piece published via The Guardian, Richards has responded to that awkward scene with Verstappen.<\/p>\n He declared that he was left \u2018deeply disappointed\u2019 when Verstappen ejected them from the media session.<\/p>\n Richards noted that he has interviewed Verstappen around \u2018a dozen times, all of them friendly and good humoured\u2019, and that criticism of the Red Bull driver has been \u2018minimal\u2019 from his end and \u2018only when warranted\u2019.<\/p>\n Abuse via email followed, the journalist claims.<\/p>\n \u2018Within two hours someone had tracked down my email. \u2018You\u2019re the problem. You\u2019re the toxic dipsh*t who\u2019s responsible for the whole British bias in F1. You\u2019re the worst.\u201d<\/p>\n Richards said that they have no plans to go on X to see what may reside on there.<\/p>\n More on Max Verstappen from PlanetF1.com<\/p>\n Verstappen verdict after second FIA investigation after FP2 Colapinto incident<\/a><\/p>\n Schumacher brands Winward \u2018amateurs\u2019 after Verstappen N\u00fcrburgring disqualification shock<\/a><\/p>\n Thankfully, he confirmed that \u2018my wellbeing is fine\u2019 in the face of the incident, and unacceptable abuse.<\/p>\n Richards hopes that they and Verstappen can return to better terms down the line.<\/p>\n Verstappen has won the last four Japanese GPs, but spoke of \u201cbig problems\u201d for Red Bull after he ended Friday practice in 10th.<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel<\/a> for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!<\/p>\n