F1 fans were left fuming at Red Bull driver Max Verstappen after he cut short his post-race interview after finishing P2 in the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The Dutch driver started the race from P1 after he took his second pole position of the year in Jeddah, with his previous one coming in Suzuka earlier in the month.
However, the four-time F1 world champion had a slow start from his grid box and was level with Oscar Piastri heading into Turn 1. But he had to take some escaping measures, which ultimately gave him a five-second penalty for going off the track and gaining the position.
The 27-year-old did not agree with the penalty and it ultimately cost him the race win, as he was unable to close down the deficit in the final few laps of the race and finished just under three seconds behind the eventual race winner.
Verstappen was visibly upset with the result, and in his post race interview, he said:
"I'm going to keep it short. A big thank you to the fans here in Jeddah. It's been a great weekend. I love the track. The rest, it is what it is. I'm looking forward to Miami, so I will see you there."F1 fans gave their reactions to Max Verstappen's short interview after Jeddah on X, with one fan claiming:
"Spoilt brat response." "He could've given this interview while he was serving his time penalty." "As good as Max is, he cost himself a potential win," said a fan.Here are some more reactions from fans:
"It was his fault, though. A rare Verstappen bottle," remarked a fan. "Maybe max should've given the place back and he would've had a chance to win," wrote a fan. "We need this Mad Max for the rest of the season," said another.Oscar Piastri took the championship lead as well while Max Verstappen sits two points behind Lando Norris in P2.
Oscar Piastri gives his take on his Max Verstappen incident in Jeddah
McLaren driver Oscar Piastri stated that he was not going to give any leeway once he got side-to-side against Max Verstappen on the opening lap heading into Turn 1 during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Speaking with F1TV, the 24-year-old gave his side of the story and said (via Sky Sports):
"Once I got on the inside, I wasn’t coming out of Turn 1 in second. I tried my best. Obviously, the stewards had to get involved, but I thought I was plenty far enough up. And in the end, that’s what got me the race. So, I’m very happy with all the work we’ve been doing at the starts, and that’s what won us the race today."Max Verstappen remained pretty silent in the cooldown room as well and did not engage in conversation with Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc.
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Edited by Tushar Bahl