Max Verstappen had a heated exchange with a Red Bull engineer after his early retirement from the Australian Grand Prix. The Dutchman was aiming for a tenth consecutive win, but was forced to finish it after just five laps due to smoke coming from the rear of his car.
It is clear that Verstappen will not be able to continue, as the 26-year-old ended his career prematurely due to a fight in the Red Bull garage. He then engaged in a frosty exchange with engineer Paul Monaghan as he tried to come to terms with the unfortunate path of his retirement.
Verstappen was spotted in the middle of a verbal exchange with a Red Bull colleague and can be heard saying “stupid” before putting his hands on his head and running off. After a few minutes, he walked out of the garage after taking off his racing suit. and I realised he was chatting with Christian Horner on the pit wall.
The reigning world champion dominated the first two races of the new season with emphatic victories in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, but his new mechanical challenge may not save him from ending any hopes of completing a hat-trick. It’s his first retirement since 2022, when he suffered a critical fuel issue at that year’s Australian Grand Prix.
Paul Monaghan
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Asked about what happened via Sky Sports F1, Verstappen said: “It’s possible we’ll see fires as soon as they go out. The right rear brake jammed and the pain continued to mount. It’s essentially like driving with the parking brake on. “
“It was weird to drive in some corners. If a brake is locked, it doesn’t help. You may see a brake, the right rear brake, stuck. The team will investigate. It’s not something I’ve experienced. Before] as far as I know, it must have been a long time ago. “
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Verstappen started the race from pole position and enjoyed a good start, avoiding the threat of Carlos Sainz in his lead at the first corner. However, the Ferrari driver took the lead on the next lap sweeping the outside on the descent to Turn Nine.
Things temporarily went from bad to worse for Verstappen when smoke started coming out of the back of his Red Bull car a few laps later. Fire extinguishers were needed to extinguish the flames as he returned to the pits before his ruined car was taken back to the garage. .
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