Journalist responds to Max Verstappen Suzuka ejection as online abuse revealed

A journalist who was ejected from a Japanese Grand Prix media session, at the order of Max Verstappen, wrote that they are ‘deeply disappointed’ over the ordeal.

Verstappen had refused to begin the session while that journalist was in the room. It traces back to a George Russell-related question towards the end of the 2025 season. The journalist revealed that they received abuse via email in the aftermath.

Max Verstappen journalist ejection after Suzuka incident

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On Thursday ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix, Verstappen met with reporters at Red Bull hospitality for his media session, a regular event for the drivers going into a race weekend.

However, he made it clear that he would not begin the session until one specific journalist had left.

“I’m not speaking before he’s leaving,” said Verstappen, as he identified the journalist who that was directed at.

It was at the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix that this journalist had asked Verstappen whether he regretted his controversial collision with George Russell at that year’s Spanish Grand Prix. It was that question on which Verstappen based his Suzuka request for that journalist to leave.

Telling the reporter to “get out” as part of the exchange between them, the individual did indeed leave, and Verstappen declared “now we can start”.

In a piece published via The Guardian, this journalist has responded to that awkward scene with Verstappen.

The journalist declared that they were left ‘deeply disappointed’ when Verstappen ejected them from the media session.

That journalist claims to have interviewed Verstappen around ‘a dozen times, all of them friendly and good humoured’, and that criticism of the Red Bull driver has been ‘minimal’ from their end and ‘only when warranted’.

Abuse via email followed, the journalist claims.

‘Within two hours someone had tracked down my email. ‘You’re the problem. You’re the toxic dipsh*t who’s responsible for the whole British bias in F1. You’re the worst.”

The journalist said that they have no plans to go on X to see what may reside on there.

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Thankfully, the journalist confirmed that ‘my wellbeing is fine’ in the face of the incident, and unacceptable abuse.

The journalist hopes that they and Verstappen can return to better terms down the line.

Verstappen has won the last four Japanese GPs, but spoke of “big problems” for Red Bull after he ended Friday practice in 10th.

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