Coulthard Questions FIA Silence After Verstappen's Suzuka Media Standoff

Overview

• David Coulthard said on the Up To Speed podcast he was surprised there was no reprimand from the FIA after Max Verstappen had a journalist removed before a Suzuka media session.
• The confrontation happened inside Red Bull’s team area at the Japanese Grand Prix, where Verstappen refused to speak until The Guardian’s Giles Richards left the room.
• Coverage links the dispute to Richards pressing Verstappen at the 2025 Abu Dhabi finale about a clash with George Russell during a title fight he narrowly lost to Lando Norris.
• No public action has been announced by the FIA, motorsport’s governing body, even though it routinely fines drivers for lesser breaches such as profanity, prompting questions about consistent enforcement.
• Coulthard added that repeated tough questions can feel personal to drivers, a strain that can shape how they deal with reporters and that underscores the need for clear, even rules on media access.