Max Verstappen REFUSES to answer questions after swearing row as Lewis Hamilton urges him not to serve ‘joke’ punishment

MAX VERSTAPPEN took a vow of soundlessness aft being deed with Formula One's ‘community service’ punishment for swearing successful a property conference.

The Dutchman each but refused to reply questions successful yesterday’s property league aft securing second-place successful qualifying down Lando Norris.

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He answered 1 question with “no comment” and told reporters “I would similar if you inquire these questions extracurricular of the room”.

Third-place Lewis Hamilton and Norris person rallied astir the Red Bull operator with the seven-time satellite champion slamming the “joke” punishment.

Hamilton said: “I honestly deliberation it's a joke. This is the pinnacle of the sport, mistakes are made.

“I surely wouldn't bash that (serve the punishment) and I anticipation Max doesn't either."

Following the property conference, Verstappen was existent to his connection and met with the media extracurricular of the property league country to reply questions.

On Friday the Dutchman was sent to stewards aft helium said his car was “f***ed” successful the property conference.

Yesterday the fuming Belgian-born operator said: “It's ridiculous to get a punishment for that.

“When you insult idiosyncratic that’s clear. I didn't adjacent purpose it astatine a person, it was a gaffe of the lingua moment.

"I really had a chat with the stewards, they're understanding. It’s successful the rules truthful they person to use thing but for maine it’s not the close mode to spell guardant successful our sport.”

Norris joked: “He deserved it , foul language! No, it's beauteous unfair. I don't hold with immoderate of it.”

Norris and Verstappen volition conflict it retired astatine the beforehand of the grid time with the McLaren operator trailing his title-rival by 59 points successful the championship.

Q3 each came down to 1 thigh owed to a clang from Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz astatine the last corner, with lone 2 drivers having acceptable a clip connected the board.

Norris produced a blistering thigh successful the last showdown aft McLaren chose to permission the pit lane archetypal to debar the hazard of a yellowish oregon reddish flag.

Hamilton had struggled passim signifier but pipped team-mate George Russell to third.

Oscar Piastri volition commencement from fifth, with Haas' Nico Hulkenberg and Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso behind him.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was initially seventh but had his thigh deleted owed to a way limits excursion, and volition commencement successful ninth alongside Sainz successful 10th.

Norris said: "It was tough, particularly done qualifying. I was uncovering it a small hard to advancement overmuch and summation a batch of thigh time,

"All of the guys astir seemed to get quicker and quicker, truthful it enactment maine nether a spot much pressure, particularly with conscionable 1 thigh astatine the end.

"It was bully capable for rod and I'm blessed with that, particularly present successful Singapore.

“A bully feeling. I've felt bully each weekend, I've felt confident, possibly not truthful overmuch successful qualy but we got the occupation done."

Hamilton’s 3rd spot is his champion qualifying since helium was 2nd connected the grid astatine the British Grand Prix.

He said: "Qualifying has been a catastrophe for maine each twelvemonth agelong and I person conscionable been moving and moving and moving trying to get myself backmost up determination and each of a abrupt the car came to maine for the archetypal clip successful a agelong clip successful qualifying.

"We person been moving up and down connected balance. We person changed everything and the mechanics person been faultless and I anticipation we are successful a bully presumption to combat for the beforehand tomorrow."

Earlier successful the time 3rd signifier was deed with chaos arsenic a LIZARD wandered onto the way and forced a reddish flag.

It forced Aston Martin operator Fernando Alonso to springiness it a wide berth connected the thoroughfare circuit.

Meanwhile, Mercedes operator Russell said the lizard "looked similar a dragon" connected the squad radio.