Kevin Garside has compared Red Bull Racing's boycott of Sky Sports to the regime of Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, in a column for iNews. According to the journalist, the boycott of Max Verstappen and his team only shows that they do not want to know the truth.

"What is the greater offence, expressing an opinion you disagree with and think is unfair, or eliminating the voice that holds and expresses it? The latter plays out in Vladimir Putin's Russia, where only the idea and thoughts of the state is allowed and shared. Now no one wants to say that Red Bull's boycott of Sky Sports in Mexico in protest against what is considered biased reporting is of the same order as Putin's state propaganda, but it does share a damaging characteristic," Garside writes.

Criticising Verstappen and Red Bull

He continues that he does not know why Kravitz feels it necessary to raise the subject again. Garside argues that one might expect a broadcaster to be impartial and deliver a fair story that highlights all sides. "But it is up to Sky to address Kravitz on this, not Red Bull. Feel free to express your dissatisfaction, but don't abuse your position in doing so. (...) Either way, Red Bull is the party that comes across as stupid and petulant in all this, not Kravitz."

Finally, Garside calls it a pity how it all ended up in Abu Dhabi last season. "Because Verstappen's talent deserves multiple championships. But it was a grave mistake to boycott Kravitz and the Sky team in Mexico, an act of pettiness that does him no credit. Worse, it could harden opinion against him," he concludes.