"Max Verstappen is not my favorite driver, but he's right here": Fans come out in support of the Red Bull driver's criticism of the FIA's regulations

F1 fans online have come out in support of Max Verstappen amid his criticism of the FIA's anti-speech regulations, after the 27-year-old blamed the new directives for not being able to express his opinion on the incident with Oscar Piastri on the first lap of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The Dutchman finished the race in second, only to Piastri, after receiving a 5-second time penalty for his lap 1 move.

Max Verstappen gave his reasons for not speaking about the incident with Oscar Piastri after the race on Sunday, mentioning that he could not do so due to the FIA's new policies. His specific words about the FIA's new directives read as follows:

"I cannot share my opinion because I might get penalised. So it's better not to speak about it." [via Sky Sports]

"And then of course, we cannot be critical anyway. So, that's fine, less talking, even better for me." he added.

Majority of F1 fans came out in support of the Dutch driver, as they agreed with him, and also suggested that the President of the organization, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, is attempting to ban free speech in F1.

"Max is not my favorite driver but he's right here. The FIA told them in Jan they can be subject to fines or race bans if they criticize FIA decisions. So regardless of how he feels, if he answers honestly, he's subject to more penalization.", said one fan.

Screen grab from Sky Sports F1's instagram post [via instagram/skysportsf1]

Max is absolutely spot on. We want to hear the real drivers not the drivers that the people “controlling” F1 want us to hear. Those people are totally spoiling the sport we all love", said another user.

"He’s not wrong about the environment the FIA has created.", said yet another fan.

One fan also agreed with the penalty Max Verstappen received, but concurred with his words about the FIA's policies.

"Totally agree with Max. But it was Oscar’s corner"

Apart from this, there were also some fans who saw Verstappen's words as a deflection tactic, and claimed that he is complaining simply cause he received a penalty.

"You got penalised. Move on. Take it and quit complaining 😂", said a user.

"He better start reading the 2025 rule book, this behaviour is childish", said another fan.

Max Verstappen did not agree with the 5-second time penalty he received for driving off track and gaining an advantage during lap 1 of the Saudi Arabian GP. This incident more or less cost the 27-year-old the race win, as he had looked quicker than his rival in the first stint of the race when he was the one in clean air.

Max Verstappen was full of praise for Oscar Piastri after the Saudi Arabian GP

Max Verstappen, Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc - Saudi FP post-race press conference- Source: Getty

Max Verstappen poured compliments for Oscar Piastri after the Saudi Arabian GP, claiming that the Aussie driver is matured beyond his years after having just been in F1 for under three full seasons. He also mentioned how the McLaren man is calm and composed, much to his liking.

Speaking during the post-race press conference, Verstappen shared his opinions on how solid Piastri is as a driver and a potential world championship contender.

"I think I've said it before, you know, people sometimes, of course, forget a little bit, like, last year was his second year, now of course it's his third year, and he's very solid, he's very calm in his approach, and I like that." said Verstappen.

I think it shows on track. You know, he delivers when he has to deliver, barely makes any mistakes and that's what you need to do when you want to fight for a championship." he added.

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Oscar Piastri now leads the drivers' championship with 99 points, as his teammate Lando Norris slipped down to second with 89 points. Max Verstappen remains in touching distance in third, having claimed 87 points this season.

About the author

Samyak Sharma is a Motorsports journalist at Sportskeeda, covering Formula One and IndyCar. A graduate in Mass Media and Journalism, he aims to transform his lifelong passion for playing and following sports into a thriving career in sports journalism. He believes that sports naturally deliver the most compelling stories, needing no script to captivate the world.

Samyak is dedicated to providing detailed and insightful coverage, keeping an eye on all developments on and off the track to ensure timely and accurate reporting. He closely follows Max Verstappen, inspired by the Dutchman's ability to balance precision and aggression on the track.

Samyak envisions the continued growth of motorsports globally and hopes to see Formula One return to the V8 engines while still continuing to be sustainable. As for IndyCar, he envisions greater international exposure to rival the global reach of F1.

Outside the world of motorsports, Samyak immerses himself in his love for football and cricket, passionately cheering for his favorite team, Manchester United. He also enjoys catching the occasional tennis match, broadening his appreciation for sports.

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Edited by Aatreyee Aich