Max Verstappen, the Red Bull Racing driver, revealed that his Formula 1 car experienced a failure during the 2024 Australian Grand Prix. Verstappen started the race in pole position, but was overtaken on the second lap due to issues with his car. Smoke began to come out of the rear of his vehicle and he was forced to retire from the race when his brakes caught fire. Verstappen explained that the right rear brake had been stuck since the beginning of the race, causing the temperature to rise and eventually resulting in the fire. This issue also affected the balance of the car, making it difficult for Verstappen to maintain control. He expressed frustration with the team’s decision to make a pit stop while his car was on fire, questioning the logic behind it.
Verstappen was aiming to equal his previous record of 10 consecutive wins, but instead, had his first retirement since the 2022 Australian GP.
When asked if he was frustrated or disappointed, Verstappen replied: “Not really. I mean, of course I’m disappointed that I couldn’t finish the race, because I think we had a good chance to win. The balance of the car was good during the laps to the grid. I felt confident and noticed an improvement compared to the practice sessions we did. But there are things you can’t control.”
The three-time world champion bounced back from his previous defeat in Singapore with a dominant performance in Japan, the next race on the F1 calendar at an earlier time. Verstappen admits that the opportunity to bounce back in Suzuka “excites me, because I want to win,” understanding that his next retirement was inevitable.
“Of course, we had many successful consecutive races and good reliability,” he acknowledged. “And I knew the day would come when you would have a retirement, and unfortunately, that day was today. We’ve already had a remarkable two-year streak. That’s pretty impressive. But of course, you never want to see that happen. Now, it’s more important for us to understand why this happened.”
