Max Verstappen drops out of the Australian Grand Prix with technical problems. After the start of the race he was overtaken by Carlos Sainz and a lot of smoke came from under the car. The Dutchman had to park his car. His brake was probably on fire.
Verstappen started the Australian Grand Prix on pole position, but had to relinquish the lead to Sainz after just one lap. The Dutchman announced on the on-board radio that he lost the car for a moment and found that very strange, but he was still able to continue driving. When he wanted to pull himself together, the RB20 no longer felt optimal and smoke also came from under the car.
It was unclear at the time what happened, but Verstappen also announced that he had no brakes at all. His right brake exploded and then caught fire. He made his way to the pits after slowly falling back into the field and was able to deliver the car to the garage in one piece.
First DNF since 2022
This is Verstappen’s first retirement since the 2022 Australian Grand Prix, so his first DNF in two years. The Dutchman had a fifteen point lead in the standings, and could now be overtaken by his teammate Sergio Pérez who is in second place. Verstappen also has to rebuild his winning streak, as he was able to take his tenth consecutive victory in Melbourne.
