Verstappen does not finish Australian Grand Prix due to car issues

Max Verstappen had to drop out of the Australian Grand Prix after five laps on Sunday. The three-time world champion had to stop his race when his car had smoke and was on fire. The race was won by Carlos Sainz in Ferrari.

Verstappen won the race in Melbourne last year. He did not finish the race a year before, either. Since that moment, he had completed 43 races in a row.

His start at the Albert Park circuit was perfect. The Dutch driver started from the pole position and kept the top spot for the first lap. He was given an unexpected blow in the second lap as Sainz caught and passed him.

While the Spaniard was driving terrifically, plumes of smoke started to emerge from Verstappen’s car. “Smoke, I’ve got blue smoke and fire,” he told his team on the radio. He had complained about the car feeling slightly off a short while before this.

Verstappen still had to guide his car to the pit stop area, where mechanics were ready with fire extinguishers to put out the flames. He got out of the car quickly after.

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This was Max Verstappen's first retirement in two years! 😵 F1 Formula1 AusGP

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Overheated brakes were the reason for the malfunction. “Something must have gone wrong after the start because the back right brake would not cool off,” he told sports channel Viaplay shortly after the race.

It was the first disappointment in a long time for the Limburger. He was dominant last season, with 19 victories in 22 races. He started this season in the same manner, with easy wins in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

He could have equaled his record of ten wins in a row in Australia, but the car issues prevented that.

He reacted relatively calmly to the setback. “It is still a mechanical sport where things like this can happen,” the reigning world champion added.

Sainz took advantage by winning the race just two weeks after he was operated for appendicitis. His Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc finished second, and British driver Lando Norris finished third in his McLaren.