Max Verstappen’s timing out on the race track is surgical, but when it comes to picking up the check on a night out, the four-time world champion is just as adept at "missing" a bill as he is at hitting an apex.
Ahead of Formula 1’s season finale earlier this month in Abu Dhabi, the paddock’s most light-hearted controversy of the weekend had nothing to do with lap times or penalties, but with who paid for the drivers’ traditional end-of-season dinner.
The annual coming-together, organised by Lewis Hamilton, has become something of a ritual at Yas Marina. A rare moment where rivalries are parked, and the grid shares a table rather than a racetrack. Hamilton marked the occasion with a heartfelt message online, writing:
“Class of 2025. We’re the only people in the world to do what we do and for that we’re incredibly lucky. I’m grateful for this group of drivers I have the privilege of racing against and even though we’re competitors, there’s nothing but respect and I’m proud to call them friends. Hope to give you all a great last race of the season.”
But once the plates were cleared, a different question dominated the evening: who paid?
The Bill That Got Away
Speculation immediately pinned the tab on Verstappen, following a "hidden agreement" that the world champion usually foots the bill.
But as the night unfolded, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly performed a strategic undercut that left Verstappen standing at the finish line with his wallet still in his pocket.
"Well, I tell you, last year was very nice of Valtteri [Bottas], actually, he took the bill," Verstappen explained during a session on Red Bull’s Talking Bull podcast.
"So then the drivers are joking a little bit like, 'This year it's Max,' and I was like, 'Yeah, sure', but I was sitting on the opposite side of the entrance of the private room."
That, as Verstappen tells it, proved decisive.
"So, for most of the night you're having a laugh, and then suddenly people were wanting to go, and then we realised that Pierre had already paid for the dinner," Verstappen revealed.
When the inevitable jokes surfaced about him making a strategic retreat to the restroom when the check arrived, the Dutchman offered a much more "spirited" alibi.
"I was drinking my gin and tonics on the other side," he joked.
Far from ducking the responsibility, Verstappen insisted it was simply a case of poor positioning and bad logistics.
"So I guess next time, before I enter, I have to tell them that at the end of the night, the bill is for me so that I can actually finally pay it,” he graciously suggested.
When podcast host Nicola Hume teased that Verstappen’s eventual turn might involve tap water and a budget set menu, the Dutchman was quick to shut that down.
"No. I'm normally very generous with these kind of things,” he insisted. “I just didn't get to pay yet, but I'm sure that we have another dinner next year."
Gasly may have walked away with the receipt this time, but Verstappen’s message was clear: the cheque isn’t dodged – it’s merely delayed.
In Formula 1, even generosity sometimes needs the right moment to overtake.
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