Max Verstappen snaps back at reporter after F1 title loss: ‘You’re giving me a stupid grin’

The Red Bull driver was unhappy with a question after the race about his crash with George Russell back in June

Max Verstappen was unhappy with a question after his win in Abu Dhabi on Sunday (Getty Images)

Max Verstappen snapped back at a reporter for a question about his crash with George Russell in June after missing out on the 2025 F1 world title on Sunday night.

Verstappen launched a terrific comeback this season to stay in contention but despite winning the final race in Abu Dhabi, Lando Norris secured the podium he needed to win the championship by two points.

Reflecting on where the title may have been lost, a British journalist questioned whether the Dutchman regretted his collision with Russell at the Spanish Grand Prix, which cost him a crucial nine points after a 10-second time penalty.

An unimpressed Verstappen snapped back: “You forget all the other stuff that happened in my season. I knew that would come, yep.”

After a brief pause, Verstappen added: “You’re giving me a stupid grin now. It’s part of racing at the end, you live and learn.

“Championship is won over 24 rounds. I’ve also happened a lot of early Christmas presents given to me in the second half [of the season] so you can also question that.”

McLaren’s recent errors in Las Vegas and Qatar kept Verstappen in the title hunt, but ultimately, a 12-point deficit was too much to overturn at the final round.

The Red Bull driver added: “I have no regrets in my season, I think the performance has been strong. I've hated this car at times, but I've also loved it at times and I always try to extract the most out of it, even in the difficult weekends that we have had.

“It’s been a proper rollercoaster, but luckily, the last nine rounds in particular have been much more enjoyable.

Verstappen finished just two points off championship winner Lando Norris (Getty Images)

“In the team, we have a great atmosphere at the moment, we’re really on a roll, we have positive energy, belief and confidence, and that’s exactly what you want going into next year.”

Piastri, meanwhile, magnanimously congratulated his McLaren teammate on his victory after the Australian scuppered a 34-point lead back in August. In the end, Piastri finished 13 points shy of world champion Norris.

“He’s a very deserving winner,” said the Australian. “I know that every weekend, I go on track, it's going to be tough.

“I think we've pushed each other through the last three years, I think especially this season, it’s been tighter than ever. A great season and I think probably all three of us, but obviously myself and Lando, we’re the same team and we’ve had our ups and downs at different moments.”

Piastri will head back to Australia in the off-season, with three months until the first race in Melbourne on 8 March.