Max Verstappen gets snappy with F1 journalist at Austrian Grand Prix

Max Verstappen took aim at a journalist during the post-race press conference for the Austrian Grand Prix’s sprint race on Saturday after being repeatedly pressed about his near-crash with Sergio Perez. The two Red Bull drivers almost collided on the opening lap of the 62-mile sprint at the Red Bull Ring.

They were inches away from touching on two occasions at Turn 3 and Turn 4 and the media were quick to quiz the pair on whether they were satisfied everything had been done “correctly” with their manoeuvering afterwards.

Verstappen was first to respond, saying: “Well I mean it’s wet so you can’t drive on the normal line because there is less grip there and that’s why on turns three and four especially the outside in the beginning you have more grip so that’s where you want to be with the car.

“And then of course when it dries up you move more and more into the inside.” Perez then said: “Nothing more to add really, I think we’ve spoken about it, the first lap is always tricky, so no issues.”

Another member of the press wanted to seek further clarification before adding a line of questioning which evoked an angry reaction from Verstappen. 

The journalist asked: “For Max and Checo on a similar topic, obviously great results today but are you absolutely 100 per cent that everything that happened in those battles was purely circumstantial? Or is there something to learn for the future because obviously there are other cars around that could have taken advantage of that situation?

“Fine today but on another day it could have compromised the result.” Verstappen fired back: “It might have… but it didn’t. And we don’t need to make this a big story, you know, it’s what happens sometimes. 

“We have talked about it, we have cleared it and that’s fine. That’s how human beings work sometimes, you ask the question, you answer it, done. You don’t need to write a whole article about it… I hope. Or maybe you can. To get the clicks that you want.”

Perez joked: “The race was too boring so this might be the story.” Before Verstappen quipped: “Opinion, dot, dot, dot, that will get the people to answer.”

Verstappen and Perez are set to go head-to-head again at 2pm on Sunday afternoon for the main race in Spielberg with the Dutchman on pole and his Mexican team-mate starting way down in P15.