Breaking news

Formula 1

Verstappen refuses to "look like an idiot" with public service

Max Verstappen says he will not be made to "look like an idiot" when he completes his two days of 'public service' for the FIA.

Glenn Freeman

Published: Nov 26, 2018, 3:33 PM

Copy link

Share on Facebook

Share on Twitter

Share on WhatsApp

Share on Linkedin

Share on Pinterest

Share on Viber

Add as a preferred source

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB14, fans

The Red Bull driver was given the punishment for his post-race altercation with Esteban Ocon at the Brazilian Grand Prix, where he confronted and shoved the Force India driver for their collision that cost him victory at Interlagos.

When jokingly asked by UK F1 broadcaster Sky Sports on Sunday night if he'd accept an offer to look after 1996 world champion Damon Hill's rubbish bins, Verstappen declined, before offering his serious opinion on the matter and stressing that he wants to do something "suitable".

"I'm definitely not going to look silly," he added.

"I think anyway I'm already very hardly treated by that, so we'll find something suitable, because I'm not going to look like an idiot."

Earlier in the weekend Verstappen said he didn't yet know what the FIA had planned for him.

"We'll discuss, between the team and the FIA, what we're going to do," he said.

"If I agree [with the punishment], it doesn't really matter, does it? What can you do about it? I find it a bit harsh but yeah… we'll find a solution."

Verstappen made a more light-hearted reference to the punishment in the post-race press conference, when he confirmed to Lewis Hamilton that he'd finished fourth in the championship and therefore did not have to attend the FIA Awards Gala.

"We calculated that, I'm sorry," Verstappen joked. "Unless I can do it as a community service day, and then I will go!

"I'll do some PR stuff before – how great the whole venue is. I'll do a special speech in the evening!"

We want your opinion!

What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?

Take our 5 minute survey.

- The Motorsport.com Team

Read and post comments

Read also :

Share Or Save This Story

Copy link

Share on Facebook

Share on Twitter

Share on WhatsApp

Share on Linkedin

Share on Pinterest

Share on Viber

Previous article Albon now free to join Toro Rosso for 2019

Next article Alonso "impressed" by Johnson's McLaren F1 laptimes

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

View More & Comment

More from

Glenn Freeman



F1 2019 game to allow official driver transfers

Esports

Esports

F1 2019 game to allow official driver transfers



Albon keeps Toro Rosso on top in morning of Day 4

Formula 1

Formula 1

Barcelona February testing

Albon keeps Toro Rosso on top in morning of Day 4



Raikkonen fastest for Alfa on third morning of F1 test

Formula 1

Formula 1

Barcelona February testing

Raikkonen fastest for Alfa on third morning of F1 test

More from

Max Verstappen



How Lando Norris prevailed in a swift errors tour of Interlagos

Formula 1

Sao Paulo GP

How Lando Norris prevailed in a swift errors tour of Interlagos



Max Verstappen "needs to understand what happened" after "night and day" F1 comeback in Brazilian GP

Formula 1

Formula 1

Sao Paulo GP

8 h

Max Verstappen "needs to understand what happened" after "night and day" F1 comeback in Brazilian GP



‘I’ll try to win, somehow’ – Can Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen fight back for F1 Brazilian GP victory?

Formula 1

Formula 1

Sao Paulo GP

17 h

‘I’ll try to win, somehow’ – Can Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen fight back for F1 Brazilian GP victory?

Latest news



How Formula 1 proved the naysayers wrong – for once

Formula 1

Sao Paulo GP

How Formula 1 proved the naysayers wrong – for once



Kyle Larson, Cliff Daniels and the Hendrick 5 are who we say they are

NASCAR Cup

NAS NASCAR Cup

Homestead-Miami

1 h

Kyle Larson, Cliff Daniels and the Hendrick 5 are who we say they are



Final NASCAR Cup points standings after 2026 Homestead finale

NASCAR Cup

NAS NASCAR Cup

Homestead-Miami

5 h

Final NASCAR Cup points standings after 2026 Homestead finale



Official race results: NASCAR Cup Homestead season finale

NASCAR Cup

NAS NASCAR Cup

Homestead-Miami

6 h

Official race results: NASCAR Cup Homestead season finale

Feature

Discover prime content



How Formula 1 proved the naysayers wrong – for once

Formula 1

Sao Paulo GP

By Stuart Codling

How Formula 1 proved the naysayers wrong – for once



How Lando Norris prevailed in a swift errors tour of Interlagos

Formula 1

Sao Paulo GP

By Stuart Codling

How Lando Norris prevailed in a swift errors tour of Interlagos



"He really wanted it" – why Russell was furious over aborted Brazil ‘pole’ lap

Formula 1

Sao Paulo GP

By Stuart Codling

"He really wanted it" – why Russell was furious over aborted Brazil ‘pole’ lap



What we learned from Friday practice at the 2026 Brazilian GP

Formula 1

Sao Paulo GP

By Jake Boxall-Legge

What we learned from Friday practice at the 2026 Brazilian GP

Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.

From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.

You have 2 options:

Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here

Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page

Manage Alerts

Subscribe