Max Verstappen confirmed his Red Bull team’s boycott of Sky is over and the team has resumed co-operation with the broadcaster.
Red Bull refused to give interviews to Sky, which holds the rights to broadcast F1 in the UK, Germany and Italy, during the last race weekend in Mexico. However team principal Christian Horner did take questions from Sky representatives during a specially-convened media conference on Friday at which he answered questions over the FIA’s announcement of the team’s penalty for exceeding the budget cap in 2021.Explaining the reasons for the boycott, Horner criticised Sky’s coverage, saying “accusations of championships being ‘robbed’ is something that we don’t feel is an impartial commentary.” This is believed to be a reference to a comment made by Sky reporter Ted Kravitz during the United States Grand Prix weekend.
Kravitz said Lewis Hamilton had been “robbed” when he lost the world championship in the final race of last year. Hamilton was on course to win the title until FIA F1 race director Michael Masi arranged a final-lap restart in contravention of the rules, for which he later lost his job.
Verstappen said he had been subject to “a constant kind digging, being disrespectful, especially [from] one particular person.”
During today’s FIA press conference, Verstappen accepted a question from another Sky broadcaster, David Croft, on a different topic. Asked later about the Sky boycott Verstappen said: “We drew a line under it so we just keep on going.”
Sky Sports Formula 1 director Billy McGinty was reported to have visited the team earlier this week to discuss the row.
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Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
10th November 2022, 19:29
Rb only did the boycott for themselves but I’m glad they did.
HC
10th November 2022, 21:42
Took the discussion away from them breaking the cost cap didn’t it.
Zann (@zann)
10th November 2022, 20:48
Well Red Bull and Max just made themselves sound entitled and petulant.
Optimaximal (@optimaximal)
11th November 2022, 10:03
“just made”?
Michael (@freelittlebirds)
10th November 2022, 21:29
This reminds me of all the petulant dictators who penalize anyone speaking the truth and get upset when the smart percentage of the population doesn’t agree with them or show their love for them. At least the Sky Sports commentators get to walk away with their lives and don’t have to spend an eternity in a gulag.
Red Bull just got away with overspending and kept 3 championships. Of course, they’ve been wronged! The other 9 teams are just lucky to be in their presence and allowed to compete with them! No more Red Bull for Sky! You’ll have to drink water from now on!
Rich
10th November 2022, 21:43
RBR are nothing more than a brattish child who doesn’t like the truth. They can’t win a title without the help for the FIA and RBR and Verstappen are sensitive to the issue.
MPH
10th November 2022, 21:44
The boycott was just long enough to create a different narrative to replace the cheating headlines, we are not fooled. History will always show that RBR are cheats
Itsmeagain (@)
10th November 2022, 22:02
Cheats? You mean Toto has probably a magic ball in which he can forecast new TD’s like in canada?
Louie
10th November 2022, 22:24
You sure showed them.
Jimmi Cynic (@jimmi-cynic)
10th November 2022, 22:27
I didn’t knowingly exceed the word cap. No further comment. Boycotting commenting on RBR.
pastaman
10th November 2022, 22:45
Honestly wish more teams would do the same in this drama-creating, clikb8 world
Mayrton
11th November 2022, 13:35
+1
M
10th November 2022, 23:21
Does that mean that Sky have kow-tow’ed and will not ask relevant questions?
The Dolphins
10th November 2022, 23:46
We will see, makes me want to watch Ted’s Notebook more now so a small win for Sky.
Simon
10th November 2022, 23:56
“During today’s FIA press conference, Verstappen accepted a question from another Sky broadcaster, David Croft, on a different topic”
Not just 𝒂 question, but the 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 question 🤔
Everything’s OK as long as Kravitz isn’t the one asking the question/s, maybe?
Andrey Baydin (@minilemm)
11th November 2022, 0:25
Well, tbf, if it make Croft reflect on his commentary work for a bit, just puts a tiny bit of doubt in his brain – that’s a win for me
Wayne
11th November 2022, 4:37
Costcapchampion….
SadF1fan
11th November 2022, 8:18
Would have been interesting to have seen an Sir Alex Ferguson type boycott of Sky.
Sky is the organisation incites a boycott like that, they just can’t learn from their long list of scandals they have committed in the past.
frogster
11th November 2022, 9:13
It was nice to not hear Horner spouting off. This seems like a punishment to me.
The Edge (@the-edge)
11th November 2022, 9:54
… what a pity, was hoping not have to but up with RB BS for a very long time, 50 years would have been ideal
Jere (@jerejj)
11th November 2022, 12:15
One race weekend was enough anyway.
Ola Ray
11th November 2022, 13:16
Bunch of crybabies
Mayrton
11th November 2022, 13:39
What is needed to avoid situations like this, is to decrease the number of UK journalists in F1. A boycot is temporarily. The root of the issue is the bias because one nationality is over represented. If Liberty wants F1 to be a global sport, they should act and become inclusive.
JamesBCFC
11th November 2022, 15:48
Nothing that was said was even a dig at Red Bull.
The FIA concluded the regs hadn’t been followed and that’s why Masi was sacked.
So the logical conclusion there is that Hamilton WAS robbed.
Kravitz didn’t say it was Red Bull in the wrong.
You think there’s bias? Try actually listening to the commentary for once.
With all of Verstappens dirty antics last season there were excuses made for him, right up until the brake test which was absolutely indefensible.
Even in Practice 1 for Interlagos this season Verstappen made a mistake on his first flying lap and instead of calling it what it was, instead the commentary was “Verstappen was letting Perez go past”
Mayrton
12th November 2022, 7:03
But that’s the point. This view is limited to the UK media. They are the only ones still on 2021. The rest of the world has long moved on.
OmarR
11th November 2022, 16:40
True. I would pay Lobato (main DAZN Spain commentator and die-hard Alonso fan) all the necessary English classes just to add him to the main cast… And see what he has to say to the likes of Herbert, Hill, Crofty and Kravitz.
Grab the popcorn.