Max Verstappen has stepped in to defend Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar after the FIA warned the Frenchman for shoving a fan in the Mexico City paddock. Hadjar pushed the man aside on Friday as he hurried to the Red Bull garage for first practice, and the stewards issued a formal misconduct warning on Saturday.

The four-time world champion says the real problem is how many people F1 lets inside. Verstappen told Dutch Newspaper De Telegraaf he understands why Hadjar reacted and admitted he has come close to doing the same.

“I understand why he [Hadjar] did that,” Verstappen noted. “It is very annoying when someone gets close to you. I haven’t pushed anyone yet, but I have bumped into them a few times… I have said before that it is just like a zoo in the paddock. But that is what you get when you let so many people in.”

Hadjar was late for first practice at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez and heading for the Red Bull garage when he stopped to pose for a photo with a young fan. Then another visitor closed in while a lone security guard trailed too far behind to step in.

According to the stewards’ report, Hadjar first held the man back with a hand on his waist, then shoved him aside with an open right hand. The incident was captured in a video and made the rounds on social media on Friday.

The stewards ruled the shove broke the International Sporting Code, but they chose a warning over a fine. They pointed to what they called an “uninvited and rather aggressive action by another person.” They also cited the crowded walkway, thin security, the guest invading Hadjar’s personal space, and the wider trouble drivers have getting through the paddock.

Autosport columnist Stuart Codling went further and argued Hadjar deserved praise, not punishment. Hadjar had just stopped for a child’s photo, Codling noted, and he usually obliges fans. The breach can draw a fine of up to 40,000 euros, so the warning was like a tap on the wrist for the Frenchman.

Hadjar told reporters after qualifying that he was glad the stewards understood his side. A child’s photo request is fine, he said, but a grown man shouldn’t invade his space after he says no. He was heading to work, and “it’s not a reality show.”

Told about the zoo comparison made by Max Verstappen, Hadjar agreed and said the paddock needs to calm down. Verstappen first raised the issue in Singapore, where he told De Telegraaf: “Often, it’s no longer possible to just have a quick chat with someone; that’s effectively out of the question now. So, I mostly just move between my own room, the garage, and the pitlane.”

The Dutch driver noted that even inside Red Bull’s own hospitality, plenty of guests want a piece of him. Verstappen accepted that the attention comes with success, calling it a good sign in a way, but said he still needs time to himself.

It was a busy Friday for the Red Bull pair. Verstappen picked up a one-place grid penalty for his practice clash with Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson, while Hadjar’s shove landed him in front of the stewards.

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