F1 Today: Verstappen lashes out at Journalist, Hamilton makes bold Ferrari prediction

Verstappen refused to start his media session at Suzuka until a specific journalist had left the room. The Dutchman was on press duty ahead of the race weekend, following his recent competition at the Nordschleife.

Verstappen insisted he would not answer questions until a reporter from The Guardian exited. “I’m not speaking before he’s leaving,” he said.

The tension reportedly stemmed from a question the same journalist had asked after last season’s title decider in Abu Dhabi, specifically whether Verstappen regretted the incident in Spain involving George Russell and if it ultimately helped hand the championship to Lando Norris.

Hamilton took a measured approach when asked about Ferrari’s chances of keeping Mercedes at bay at the Japanese Grand Prix.

The seven-time world champion was questioned on whether Ferrari could build a significant gap to avoid being caught, a scenario that has played out in several races this season. Hamilton downplayed the possibility, emphasising how closely matched the two teams have been so far.

In the opening two race weekends, Ferrari often gained an early advantage off the line, but Mercedes consistently fought back during the races to claim victory on both occasions.

Want to stay up to date with the latest events from the F1 paddock? GPblog’s Paddock Update is the place to be.

Follow and subscribe to our channels on Spotify and YouTube so you don’t miss a scoop as the actions and reactions continue across the Formula 1 scene.

Check out the latest episode of our Paddock Update here 👇