Verstappen Frustrated with FIA: “The Rules Changed This Year”

Max Verstappen fumes over controversial FIA penalty in Jeddah, calling new regulations confusing and refusing to engage in further debate.

Max Verstappen didn’t hide his frustration after the race in Jeddah. Clearly unhappy with the FIA’s decision to penalize him for his start against Oscar Piastri, the Red Bull driver nearly skipped the post-race interview organized by F1 and the FIA.

Before heading to the official FIA press conference—where he didn’t say much either—Verstappen gave a brief but telling interview to TV crews.

“Honestly, I think commenting on this would be a waste of everyone’s time,” he said, brushing off the situation.

When asked why this incident was treated differently than a similar one involving Lando Norris last year in Austin—where Norris was simply told to give the position back—Verstappen was blunt:

“We’ve talked about it a lot. Last year, the rules were one way. This year, they’re different. That’s not the issue,” he said.
“But to be honest, it’s not my issue either.”

What he did focus on, though, was his car’s performance:
“The positive thing is that our race pace was pretty solid. I felt a lot better on the medium tire than I expected. The changes we made to the car between Friday and Saturday really helped, especially with tire wear.”

Pressed to clarify what he meant by “the rules changed this year,” Verstappen gave a typically curt answer:
“Go read the documents. It’s all there.”

And with that, the conversation was over. Would he appeal the penalty? Ask Red Bull to push back?

“No. It’s not worth it. I just want to go home.”

That’s fair enough—Verstappen is expecting to become a father for the first time in the coming days, just ahead of the Miami Grand Prix.

← Norris: “I'm Generally Happy, But I Make Life Hard for Myself” Horner on Verstappen’s Penalty: “Where Was Max Supposed to Go?” →

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Verstappen Frustrated with FIA: “The Rules Changed This Year” Verstappen Frustrated with FIA: “The Rules Changed This Year”