FIA and Red Bull meet as verdict cast after Max Verstappen Singapore GP ‘boycott’

The Sky F1 cameras captured the FIA’s chief steward heading down to Red Bull after Max Verstappen staged a press conference protest.

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem announced ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix that there was to be a clampdown on fruity language in Formula 1, with Verstappen the first driver to receive a punishment after swearing in the Thursday driver press conference, using the term f***** in reference to his Red Bull RB20. He was ordered to carry out “some work of public interest”.

Max Verstappen in the clear after FIA and Red Bull meet

And after making the front row in Singapore, Verstappen was part of a fresh press conference, where he was giving reporters the silent treatment, before heading outside of the press conference room to hold an impromptu media briefing.

Sky F1 pit-lane reporter Ted Kravitz referred to it as a “boycott” from Verstappen during his ‘Ted’s Notebook’ programme, with the cameras then capturing the FIA’s chief steward for the Singapore GP Tim Mayer heading for Red Bull hospitality, where he was met by sporting director Jonathan Wheatley as they began discussions.

PlanetF1.com understands that Verstappen will face no punishment from the FIA for his behaviour.

A look back at the most expensive Formula 1 penalties

? The eight most expensive penalties in F1 history: Which team has paid the largest amount?

? Max Verstappen car collection: What supercars does the F1 World Champion own?

“The other big story is Max Verstappen versus the FIA,” said Kravitz.

“There is the chief steward, Tim Mayer, and he’s looking for someone from Red Bull, because it would seem that Max Verstappen is staging somewhat of a boycott to the FIA.

“Look, there is Tim Mayer going in. These are the two houses divided next to each other in the paddock.

“There’s an interesting discussion, and one that they might be well advised not to have in public in front of our cameras. This is Tim Mayer, the American chief steward this weekend, talking to Jonathan Wheatley, about what is the problem we have with Max Verstappen.

“First of all, what will this act of some work of public interest be? Well, that’s up to the secretary general of sport from the FIA [Valerio Iachizzi] to decide. And how does Max Verstappen feel about it? Well, how Max Verstappen feels about it, in the Friday TV pen, he was asked about it by a reporter, and he said, “I have no words” and then walked out.

“And in the press conference, he gave single and double word answers. And Max brought them all out of the FIA press conference room up to that balcony over there and continued to give the briefing.”

Verstappen will start alongside polesitter and F1 2024 title rival Lando Norris on the front row in Singapore.

Read next: Lewis Hamilton tells Max Verstappen to ignore FIA penalty after silent treatment