by He told reporters there that he would be happy to answer more detailed questions outside the press conference room, both after qualifying and after the race.
Speaking at a table outside the Red Bull hospitality area on Thursday, surrounded by reporters, he indicated he would stick with that approach.
Asked if he still didn’t want to speak at the FIA press conferences, he said: “I will speak.”
But when asked how the media would get “correct” answers from him, he said: “This table works well.”
The Dutchman described the dispute as “silly”.
And when asked if he would speak to FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem about the issue, Verstappen said: “I’m always open to a conversation. But from my side, it’s not like I’m the one who has to make contact. I just live.” My life just goes on, nothing changes.
“This particular scenario is very unnecessary. Of course I know you can’t swear in general, but it’s more about when you insult someone.”
“Then you hear comments like, ‘Yeah, but you don’t want kids to see that.’ But when I was five years old, I never saw a press conference in my life anyway. And at school you hear a lot worse things, because you grow up with children and are a bit rebellious, you always say bad stuff. That’s life.
“They want you to be a role model. Yes, of couse. I don’t think they should make so much of it.”
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton said the dispute in Singapore was “not a good sight”.
And Hamilton’s teammate George Russell, director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, said F1 drivers would likely make a joint statement on the issue next week.
“There was a lot of verbal abuse among the drivers,” Russell said.
“It seems a bit silly that it has come to this. We still need to talk to the FIA, but we hope to do so (at the next race) in Mexico. But together we are all on the same page.”
“Next week we’ll probably have something officially in front of you that we can read out to the riders as a whole.
“We don’t want to take away the heated emotions that drivers show during a race. It may be up to the broadcaster to decide whether they want to broadcast it.”
“It’s a big challenge for the drivers when you have a microphone, you’re talking to your team and you’re in the middle of the fight.”
“But when it’s an environment like this, perhaps we have a duty to be mindful of our words. Next week we’ll have a letter or something else to share with everyone.”
