Verstappen discusses the current media approach in F1.

      "They can view anything I say as critical."

      Max Verstappen chuckled with the Dutch media as he shared his ongoing hesitation to respond to questions at the FIA’s official press conferences. For example, when the governing body released the stewards’ guidelines for imposing penalties, the four-time world champion was queried about whether he believes Formula 1 is becoming overly regulated.

      "I’m not going to comment," the Dutch driver asserted. "I can't afford to risk a penalty point." Later, in a gathering with Dutch-speaking journalists, he candidly acknowledged that he doesn’t "say much" in the FIA’s official environments.

      "It’s straightforward," Verstappen said, "because you don’t always need to provide an answer to everything, even if you have a viewpoint on it." Regarding the post-race Red Bull protest in Canada or the FIA's driving standards and governance, he declared: "There’s not much to say about it, as I follow the same routine every weekend."

      "I can't be critical during the press conference, because then it gets reported as 'Max says this, Max says that.' Then there are objections to that."

      "Look, anything I say can be seen as critical, and that clearly goes against the regulations. So I would prefer to remain silent," the 27-year-old explained.

      Verstappen also admits that his hesitation to interact with the international media, particularly the predominantly English-speaking outlets, is somewhat tactical. "If I just continue like this long enough," he said when asked if F1 or the FIA would eventually change their approach.