Verstappen’s Protest Continues: Swearing Penalty Sparks FIA Press Conference Standoff

Max Verstappen persists in his protest against the FIA press conference due to the repercussions he faced for using profane language.

Max Verstappen has maintained his protest against the penalty he received for using foul language by providing brief responses during the FIA press conference following the F1 Singapore Grand Prix.

During the FIA's post-qualifying press briefing in Singapore on Saturday, the Red Bull racer declined to respond to most inquiries, expressing a preference to communicate with journalists outside of the conference room.

Verstappen's position came as a reaction to the FIA's directive that he undertake "community service tasks" following his use of foul language to critique the recent form of his Red Bull vehicle during Thursday's media briefing in Singapore.

Following his runner-up finish behind competitor Lando Norris, which reduced his lead in the championship to 52 points during Sunday's grand prix, Verstappen once again chose his words cautiously in his responses to the press conference moderator, Tom Clarkson, and kept his answers brief to the journalists present.

In response to inquiries about his preference for communicating with the press outside the formal FIA briefing area, Verstappen, with a nod, said, "The day has stretched on for quite some time."

Hamilton, once Verstappen's championship contender, backed the Dutch driver, calling his penalty absurd.

"At the summit of this sport, errors occur. I definitely wouldn't engage in it [the community service], and I wish Max wouldn't either," remarked the seven-time world champion.

Inquired about his opinion on the issue, Norris expressed, “It’s quite unjust, I don't support any part of it.”

Verstappen subsequently described his penalty as "absurd" during a conversation with Sky Sports F1 following the qualifying session.

"It's absurd to receive a punishment for that. Insulting someone is quite straightforward. I never directed it towards anybody," he stated.

"This incident can be described as a minor verbal misstep. It's not directed at the officials; they are simply adhering to the regulations."

"I genuinely had an engaging conversation with them on the topic. They showed a lot of empathy, yet they pointed out it's part of the regulations and they must enforce it.

"In my view, this isn't the correct path to progress in our sport."

Similar to their approach on Saturday, Red Bull has scheduled an individual media event with Verstappen for reporters covering the race in Singapore.

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