Max Verstappen was furious with the decision to slap him with a five-second penalty at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

The Red Bull driver, who started in pole position, was accused of leaving the track to gain an advantage over Oscar Piastri on the first lap.

Verstappen accused Piastri of forcing him off the track over the team radio. He then made his feelings perfectly clear in the post-race press conference, claiming that he has been banned from being critical of the sport’s authorities.

“The problem is that I can’t share my opinion of it because I may get penalised, so it is better not to talk about it,” Verstappen said.

“It happened very fast. I don’t want to say anything about it because anything I say may get me into trouble.

“It has to do with social media in general and the way the world is. I’d prefer not to talk. Sometimes your words can be twisted or interpreted in a different way.

“You can’t share your opinions because it’s not appreciated as it used to be. People can’t handle the truth. For me, it is better if I don’t have to say too much because it saves me time.

“I know I cannot swear in here and at the same time you cannot be critical.”