Max Verstappen was reportedly ‘summoned’ for talks by Red Bull after he ordered a British journalist to “get out” of a media huddle at the Japanese GP. Verstappen, 28, recently had an altercation with Guardian reporter Giles Richards, which saw him refuse to answer any questions until the writer left the vicinity.

This act did not impress the powers that be at Red Bull who responded by ordering the four-time F1 winner to attend a meeting with team principal Laurent Mekies and other officials. It’s understood by the German media outlet BILD the Frenchman listened to Verstappen’s reasoning behind his altercation with the reporter, before telling the Dutchman Red Bull are not a team who want to be known for ordering members of the press to leave hospitality areas and media huddles.

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The next move is reported to be a clear the air meeting between all parties ahead of the Miami Grand Prix, which begins in May. There will be plenty of time for Verstappen to think of what wants to say, with the Bahrain GP Saudi Arabian GP both being cancelled.

Verstappen’s feud with the Guardian reporter is centred on an exchange they had at last season’s finale in Abu Dhabi. Richards asked the Flying Dutchman if he regretted driving into George Russell deliberately at the Spanish GP – an act which earned him a 10-second penalty – after Verstappen missed out on the world title by two points, with Lando Norris taking his first F1 crown at his expense.

He accused the British reporter of laughing at him as he asked the question, an alleged act he took as being disrespectful. Richards insisted in his recent column he was not finding amusement at the Dutchman’s expense, but it appears Verstappen will not be changing his feelings on the writer any time soon.

Speaking about the exchange with Richards in Japan in an interview with Dutch broadcaster Viaplay, Verstappen said: “For me, that particular question I think I’ve answered like 20 times with different people. So it’s not about the question. I always explain it very well with the thought process and what happened back then.

“But after the final race, when you ask that question and you start laughing in my face while asking the question, and it’s clearly done with bad intent to ask the question at that point, it shows a massive lack of respect. So, for me, when you’re not respectful towards me, I don’t need to be respectful towards you.

“I think that’s how it works in life, very straightforward, very simple. And that’s why I did that. That’s why I did it here on Thursday. For me, it’s not correct. I have a lot of respect for everyone. I get asked a lot of questions, a lot of stupid questions as well, but I answer them. It’s not always that a question is great or whatever, that’s part of Formula 1. But this particular case, it was clearly done with bad intent.

“Of course, at that time in Abu Dhabi, you only see the camera pointed at my face, so you don’t see what is behind the camera and how people ask questions. For me, it was very clear it was done in a very disrespectful way.”