Verstappen not promising to attend FIA award gala

Max Verstappen is not completely committing to attending December’s FIA awards ceremony in Kigali, Rwanda.

Rwanda is not only a leading contender for a future African GP, it has been named as the scene of the end-of-season FIA prize giving - mandatory for high-achieving drivers like the triple world champion.

Verstappen’s relationship with FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem is currently strained, following his penalty in Singapore for using the F-word during an FIA press conference.

The Dutchman and Ben Sulayem are yet to clear the air, even though some words were exchanged after the sprint race in parc ferme.

"I didn’t say anything more than ’hello’," Verstappen revealed. "I didn’t have much to say."

But according to De Telegraaf newspaper, the tension is not why Verstappen is not 100 percent committed to travelling to Rwanda in December to collect the champion or runner-up trophy.

"We just have to wait and see if it’s all safe there," Verstappen confirmed, referring to an outbreak of the deadly Marburg virus in Rwanda.

"If there’s nothing wrong, it’s not a problem," the 27-year-old added.

However, he admitted it’s not just the risk of illness that he is concerned about.

Verstappen explained: "The people there pay to organise it. For me, it’s not so much a problem that it’s being held there, but that everyone has to come at their own expense.

"Look, for me that’s not an issue of course, but drivers from karting and other categories may not have that money and have to cough up everything themselves.

"If they want to hold it in Timbuktu, I think that’s fine," he joked, "although it would be good if this was looked into and it was reimbursed. Drivers are invited of course, but also obliged to go there. And then you have to pay for it yourself?

"I think that’s a bit wrong."