Max Verstappen’s tantrum at the Japanese Grand Prix should have alarm bells ringing at Red Bull

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Red Bull should be worried about how angry Max Verstappen is about their tough start to 2026, after he kicked a reporter out of his Japanese Grand Prix press conference.

Verstappen threw a tantrum at Suzuka this Thursday, as he refused to speak at his pre-event media session before the journalist had left. The Dutchman told the reporter to “get out”, as he holds a grudge against them for their questions following the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Four-time F1 champion Verstappen has not forgiven the journalist, after asking him whether the penalty he received for intentionally crashing into Mercedes racer George Russell during the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix ultimately cost him last term’s title to Lando Norris of McLaren.

Verstappen drew a 10s penalty for crashing into Russell in Spain in 2025, as he turned out to the Mercedes racer at Turn 5 on Lap 64/66 due to his frustrations with Red Bull advising him to yield P4 back to the Briton as he disagreed with the call over how he got the place on L61.

Would Max Verstappen be complaining about F1’s 2026 regulations if he had joined Mercedes?

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What did Max Verstappen say as he kicked a journalist out at the Japanese Grand Prix?

The penalty that Verstappen received in the 2025 Spanish GP demoted him from fifth place at the finish to P10 in the final classification, costing him nine points. Norris ultimately won the title last year by just two points over Verstappen to take the Briton’s first championship.

READ MORE: The five worst moments of Max Verstappen’s career in Formula 1

It was obvious that Verstappen would be asked whether he felt crashing into Russell in the 2025 Spanish GP cost him the title to Norris. Yet 109 days on from the 2025 Abu Dhabi GP, Verstappen still has a grudge against the reporter who asked him a very obvious question.

“I’m not speaking before he leaves,” Verstappen stated at the start of his pre-event presser at the Japanese GP after spotting the journalist, via quotes by RacingNews365. “Seriously?” the reporter replied, to which Verstappen stated: “Yep.”

“Because of the question last year?” said the journalist. “Yeah,” replied Verstappen. “You want me to leave?” asked the reporter. “Yeah,” Verstappen again bluntly replied.

“It’s just the question I asked you in Abu Dhabi?” said the journalist. “Yeah,” Verstappen replied. “About Spain?” checked the reporter. “Get out,” Verstappen demanded.

“You’re really that upset about it?” asked the journalist. Verstappen: “Yeah, get out!”

Why Red Bull should be very worried by Max Verstappen’s tantrum at Suzuka

While Verstappen hit out at the reporter at the 2026 Japanese GP for his line of questioning about crashing into Russell during the 2025 Spanish GP costing him last year’s title after the season-finale in Abu Dhabi, the 28-year-old’s tantrum should set off alarm bells at Red Bull.

Much like Verstappen’s ongoing complaints about the 2026 F1 regulations not being to his liking, the 71-time Grand Prix winner would not still hold a grudge against the journalist for asking an obvious question if Red Bull were not struggling at the start of the 2026 season.

READ MORE: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend

Will Max Verstappen score his eighth Japanese Grand Prix podium finish in 2026?

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Verstappen is throwing his toys out of the pram as Red Bull have not given him a car that is capable of fighting for the mid-points paying positions, let alone Mercedes and Ferrari over the podium places. If that were not the case, Verstappen would not be as petulant as he is.

After carving his way from P20 on the grid to P6 in the 2026 Australian Grand Prix after the Dutchman crashed during Q1, Verstappen failed to overtake Norris once he caught up with the McLaren man. Verstappen failed to overtake Haas ace Oliver Bearman in China, as well.

The Chinese Grand Prix even saw Alpine driver Pierre Gasly out-qualify Verstappen and Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar for the F1 Sprint and the main race. So, Verstappen is letting his frustrations about Red Bull’s struggles out on anyone or anything he can, except the team.

But while Verstappen is aiming his public anger away from Red Bull, they should be worried that he will look to leave if they cannot improve the RB22. Verstappen can trigger a release clause in his contract through 2028 if he is outside the top two in the standings this summer.