Max Verstappen is exasperated with relentless questions about his Formula One penalty points, and the risk of a one-race ban and made that abundantly clear when he snapped at a reporter during a press conference before the Austrian Grand Prix. Verstappen was speaking to journalists in Spielberg but one particular question left him frustrated.
The four-time F1 world champion enters the race in Austria on the brink of a suspension, with 11 penalty points on his licence. Should he accrue one more this weekend, he’ll hit the threshold of a dozen within a year that mandates an automatic race ban. Only a fortnight earlier in Canada, Verstappen showed frustration when grilled on the matter, venting how he was “p***ed off” by the repetitive questioning and branding it “childish” to persistently raise the issue.
Despite this, the topic resurfaced on Thursday during the media day press conference, prompting another outburst of annoyance from the Red Bull driver. When quizzed about whether his racing style would be adjusted at the Red Bull Ring, his patience wore thin.
He refused to answer the question as he said: “You’re joking… Is this like a trap? I’m getting this question every single time, every weekend. Sorry, this is the last one. I have nothing to add.”
Verstappen could face a ban from the upcoming British Grand Prix if he incurs another penalty point in Austria. However, if he avoids any infractions, he will gain some leeway as two of his current points are due to expire before the Silverstone race next week.
The question about his precarious penalty situation was not the only source of irritation for Verstappen during a tense press conference. The persistent rumours regarding his long-term commitment to Red Bull also seemed to rankle him, especially with ongoing speculation that he might leave the team should they lose their competitive edge.
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Despite being frequently linked with teams like Aston Martin and Mercedes, Verstappen, who is under contract with Red Bull until 2028, dismissed yet another query on this topic with a terse reply.
He commented: “Oh, I’ve had that question before as well in my life… You want me to repeat what I said last year? I don’t even remember what I said last year, really. It’s just driving on, trying to push the performance and then we focus on next year.”
With McLaren leading the championship, they enter Red Bull’s home turf as the favourites, but Verstappen remains optimistic about his prospects: “We’ve had a lot of great races here… also unexpected wins. I’m here to do the best I can and, of course, I hope to be on the podium.”