'I cannot share my opinion': Verstappen stays tight-lipped on penalty

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Max Verstappen refused to discuss a time penalty which dropped him out of the lead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, saying after Sunday's race that he fears being punished for any criticism. Verstappen started on pole position and went off the track at the first corner under pressure from McLaren's Oscar Piastri. He kept the lead but received a five-second penalty for gaining an advantage by going off-track. That helped Piastri take his third Formula 1 win this season. Verstappen told his Red Bull team over the radio during the race that he felt Piastri had forced him off the track. The four-time champion repeatedly refused to go into any more detail in a televised interview and a later news conference. "The start happened, turn one happened and suddenly it was lap 50 (the last lap). It just all went super fast," Verstappen said in response to one question. "The problem is that I cannot share my opinion about it because I might get penalized also, you know, so it's better not to speak about it." Verstappen indicated he was keeping quiet both because of potential "trouble" with the governing body and because "sometimes your words can be twisted." "I think it's just the world we live in," he added. "You can't share fully your opinion because it's not appreciated, apparently, or people can't handle the full truth." It's not the first time Verstappen has refused to discuss racing issues. Last year he kept his answers to a minimum at the Singapore Grand Prix after a punishment for swearing from the governing body, the FIA. Since then, the FIA has tightened its rules on misconduct to allow for large fines or even suspensions for drivers. The focus has largely been on punishments for swearing but the rules also cover comments which could cause "moral injury or loss" to the FIA or its executives. Verstappen signaled that was his concern Sunday. "I know that I cannot swear in here but at the same time, you can also not be critical or any kind of form that might harm or danger, or... Let me get the sheet out, there's a lot of lines," he said. "That's why it's better not to talk about it because you can put yourself in trouble." Red Bull team principal Christian Horner called Sunday's penalty "a very harsh decision" Despite the frustration over the penalty, Verstappen's second place was a strong recovery from a troubled run to sixth in Bahrain last week. Red Bull's lack of pace in that race prompted speculation Verstappen could even seek to leave the team if it can't provide a car capable of fighting for the title. ___ AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing