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Max Verstappen

Verstappen responds on future FIA press conference plans

Max Verstappen is still assessing what his approach to FIA press conferences will be when F1 returns at the Circuit of the Americas.

Verstappen post qualy Singapore
Article
To news overview © XPBimages

Max Verstappen will wait to see how the land lies in Austin before making a decision on whether to continue his quasi-boycott of the official FIA press conferences at the United States Grand Prix.

The Dutchman is not guaranteed to be part of the formalities over the weekend in Texas, but if selected, he wants to "see where we are" after the three-week break following the contentious events in Singapore, with the top three in the sprint, qualifying and the race mandated to take part. 

It will be decided closer to the Austin weekend if he is selected for the official pre-race press conference, where his use of the word "f***ed" in Singapore proved controversial. 

The 26-year-old was handed a punishment akin to community service by the stewards for a breach of the International Sporting Code, hours after FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem had called for F1 drivers to curtail their offensive language.

Verstappen, who finished second in qualifying and the Singapore Grand Prix, responded by limiting his answers in an official FIA capacity for the remainder of the weekend and hosting impromptu media huddles in the paddock.

In his post-grand prix scrum, the three-time drivers' champion was asked if he planned to continue semi-protest for the rest of the season.

"Let's first take a break from it all, from F1 - for at least two weeks - and go again in Austin, see where we are," he told media including RacingNews365

"I will always be myself. I will not, because of that [what happened in Singapore], change how I am in my life, but also how I am operating here [in F1]."

How the situation develops between Verstappen and the FIA remains to be seen, but the 61-time grand prix winner has yet to rule anything out."

Also interesting:

In a very special episode of the RacingNews365 podcast, lead editor Ian Parkes and Nick Golding are joined by three-time F1 world champion Sir Jackie Stewart. The current F1 season, the sport's safety and Lewis Hamilton joining Ferrari are leading talking points.

If you'd rather watch than listen - the video is available here!

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