Max Verstappen refused to give his view on the penalty which potentially cost him victory today, and offered several reasons why.
The Red Bull driver served a five-second time penalty in his pit stop for leaving the track at the first corner on lap one and gaining a position from Oscar Piastri. The McLaren driver had moved ahead of him as they accelerated towards the first corner.
Most drivers who committed similar infractions at the first corner gave the position back immediately. Asked in the FIA press conference why he did not, Verstappen replied: “I think it’s better not to talk about it. Anything I say or try to say about it might get me in trouble.”
Following his punishment for swearing in an FIA press conference last year, Verstappen began giving brief answers when attending the governing body’s media engagements. Verstappen said he has also been less forthcoming in his responses because he does not want his views being distorted.
“It has to do with social media in general and how the world is,” said Verstappen. “I prefer not to talk a lot because sometimes your words can be twisted or people interpret it in a different way. It’s honestly better not to say too much. So that’s what I’m trying to do.”
“It’s just the world we live in,” he added when asked to elaborate. “You can’t share your opinion because it’s not appreciated, apparently, or people can’t handle the full truth.
“Honestly, it’s better if I don’t say too much. It also saves my time because we already have to do so much.
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“It’s honestly just how everything is becoming. Everyone is super-sensitive about everything. And what we have currently, we cannot be critical anyway. So less talking [is] even better for me.”
During the off-season the FIA broadened its definition of what constitutes “misconduct” by drivers. It also introduced a new regime of fines and, for multiple offences, suspensions and points deductions.
Verstappen said this is another reason why he was reluctant to discuss the incident.
“I know I cannot swear in here,” he said, “but at the same time, you also can’t be critical in any form that might ‘harm’ or ‘[en]danger’… let me get the sheet out. There’s a lot of lines, you know.
“So that’s why it’s better not to talk about it – you can put yourself in trouble, and I don’t think anyone wants that.”
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