Max Verstappen was the runner up of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. [Credits: X/ Max Verstappen]

Max Verstappen Chooses “Less Talking” as the Answer to His Penalty!

Max Verstappen choses not to answer questions about his incident with Oscar Piastri!

Max Verstappen was the runner up of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. [Credits: X/ Max Verstappen]

Max Verstappen simply did not have the best race this weekend at Jeddah. He was among the losing drivers of the grid even though he won second place. On a track where Red Bull have never lost before, Max Verstappen has every ingredient to secure his win. Verstappen was starting on pole on the cleaner side of the grid. His car was competitive enough to squeeze out a good gap to the drivers behind him.

Almost everyone expected Verstappen to breeze through the race like he did in Suzuka. But, as soon as the lights went out, Verstappen found himself stuck in a perilous situation. He lost out to Oscar Piastri who had a better reaction time and claimed the turn 1 ahead of him. Still, Max insistently tried to take the corner from Piastri.

Gave it everything today. Well done team @redbullracing 🙌 we move forward. pic.twitter.com/SOeJCnvjr8
— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) April 20, 2025

Although his plans were foiled by the Aussie, Max cut the chicane to come out ahead of Piastri. His move raised eyebrows among the stewards who started investigating immediately. Max Verstappen became the wrong driver in this tussle who was ahead of Piastri through an unfair advantage. In normal conditions, this would cause the Dutchman to give the place back to Piastri. But due to a safety car caused by his teammate, Max Verstappen was hit with a 5s penalty to serve during the race.

Also Read: Saudi Arabian GP Key Takeaways- 5 Winners and 5 Losers from Jeddah!

Max Verstappen Refuses to Discuss His Penalty Owing to People’s “Sensitivity”

It is quite clear that Max Verstappen’s penalty was the sole reason behind his loss in Saudi Arabia. Had he given the position back to Piastri during normal race conditions, Verstappen could recover quickly and overtake McLaren. Red Bull decided to serve his penalty in the pits. As a result, Piastri took advantage and built a humongous lead over Max Verstappen.

In spite of everything he tried, Max Verstappen was ultimately unable to overtake Oscar Piastri. The entire paddock is divided about the penalty received by Max Verstappen. Even the Dutch Lion was angry about it over the radio. So, while the team principals of McLaren and Red Bull got into a cold war, Verstappen instead decided not to comment on the matter.

Max Verstappen wasn't keen to discuss the penalty he was given in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at the weekend. 🏁 🤷‍♂️#BBCF1 pic.twitter.com/xebDngOYGr
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) April 21, 2025

This was his answer, when approached by reporters regarding the penalty-

“You can’t share your opinion because it’s not appreciated apparently, or people can’t handle the full truth. Honestly, it’s better if I don’t say too much. It’s honestly just how everything is becoming. Everyone is super-sensitive about everything. And what we have currently, we cannot be critical anyway. So less talking – even better for me.”

It’s obvious that this line is a jibe aimed at the FIA who are known for making some controversial decisions from time to time. Max Verstappen might also refer to the new language rules enforced by the FIA on drivers. Still, it is quite clear that the Dutch Lion does not like how the incident was handled.

Recently, Max Verstappen is becoming more and more stoic towards the media. Just a few days, he promptly shut down Crofty who was trying to enquire about his contract with Red Bull.

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Formula 1 2025 Season

Max Verstappen

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Oscar Piastri

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Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

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I work as a Writer at The Playoffs specialising in NHL, Formula 1 and Motorsports. I got into online journalism a couple of years ago. I used to be an intern for a website managing their Formula 1 content and then I served an entire year as a contractual writer.