Does the FIA invite Verstappen and Russell for press conference after Barcelona drama?

Lewis Hamilton will be a part of the FIA press conference at the Canadian Grand Prix on Thursday, but there will be no Max Verstappen or George Russell after their incident at the Spanish Grand Prix.FIA Skips Verstappen & Russell for Press Conference After Penalty Drama

Despite widespread discussions about the two drivers throughout the week after the Grand Prix in Barcelona, they have not been invited to the press conference.

Verstappen sat in P3 for the majority of the race, but that quickly evaporated after a ten-second time penalty for swerving into Russell, seeing him drop down to P10 while also adding three penalty points, meaning he is one away from a race ban.

As a result of the incident and the potential suspension, the Dutchman was the topic of a lot of discussion, along with Russell, with a single penalty point picked up in Montreal or at the upcoming Austrian Grand Prix, meaning a race ban for Verstappen will be enforced.

However, neither driver will be discussing these topics with members of the press at the Circuit Gilles Vilelenive, as neither of them will take part in the FIA press conference this Thursday.

Who is invited, however, is Hamilton, along with hometown hero Lance Stroll.

It was unclear whether he could make an appearance after he had to miss the Spanish Grand Prix due to a hand injury. However, Aston Martin confirmed that the Canadian will be back behind the wheel this weekend.

Alpine driver Franco Colapinto will round out the first three at the press conference, with those drivers answering questions at 19:30 BST on Thursday.

At 20:00 BST, Kick Sauber driver Nico Hülkenberg, Mercedes's Kimi Antonelli and Liam Lawson for Racing Bulls will take to the sofa for the second part of the press conference.

On Friday, it is then the turn of the team bosses after the first free practice session. Three team principals will be taking part in the press conference, with Ferrari's Fred Vasseur headlining the list, alongside the Williams team boss, James Vowles, and Ayao Komatsu of Haas.