Journalists call for action

Formula 1 journalists have urged the FIA to open dialogue with teams and the media after what they describe as a worrying deterioration in relations during the Japanese Grand Prix weekend. The dispute centers on an incident involving four-time world champion Max Verstappen and Guardian F1 correspondent Giles Richards at Suzuka.

What happened at Suzuka

The episode unfolded on Thursday in the Red Bull hospitality unit, where Verstappen was holding a pre-race press conference. Just as the session began, he cut off the first question after noticing Richards in the room.

Verstappen told Richards to "get out". He later said the ban was a response to the way Richards had spoken to him during last year’s post-race FIA press conference in Abu Dhabi, after Verstappen missed out on a fifth title by two points to Lando Norris.

According to people familiar with the situation, Richards has since been targeted by severe online abuse. Journalists who defended him have also faced criticism online, which is, sadly, exactly the sort of digital civility that never seems to take a day off.

FIA discussions and industry concern

The F1 Media Advisory Council, which includes several senior journalists, discussed the matter with the FIA over the weekend. It is understood the governing body plans to raise the issue with Red Bull.

The Italian Automotive Journalists Association, known as the UIGA, also issued a strongly worded statement expressing "deep concern" over what happened in Suzuka.

It said:

  • "Verbal abuse and a climate of hostility directed at journalists and photographers are unacceptable and break down the fundamental principles of professional respect and press freedom."
  • "The testimonies of those present challenge some of the widespread narratives, which risk damaging the professional reputation of media workers."
  • "At the same time, tensions between drivers and photographers risk leading to increasingly restrictive measures that disproportionately affect the work of the press."
  • "Mutual respect is essential, but it must not limit the media’s right to report freely and independently."

The association added that the FIA should bring all sides together, including media representatives and teams, to avoid "any further deterioration in working conditions and access to information."

Its statement ended with a reminder that press freedom is not a decorative extra in motor racing. "A free, respected and protected press is not an ancillary matter, but a fundamental pillar of transparency and credibility in all sports, including Formula 1."

The wider backdrop

The incident has turned a routine race-weekend media moment into a broader argument about access, conduct and the increasingly fragile relationship between drivers and the press. In a sport built on scrutiny, that may be a problem worth more than a passing glance.