Verstappen commenced the Melbourne race from pole position but was unable to maintain his lead for long as Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz swiftly overtook him on lap 2.
The Dutch driver immediately expressed concerns about the balance of his RB20, noting that the rear end felt loose.
By lap 4, it became evident that his right rear corner was emitting smoke. Towards the end of the lap, Verstappen was forced to ease off, retiring into the pitlane due to a right-rear brake fire.
Verstappen explained, “My right rear brake essentially stuck on from the moment the lights went off, causing the temperatures to continually rise until it eventually caught fire.”
“[The team] could observe the issue but were unsure of its cause.” Verstappen’s retirement in Melbourne concluded a streak of 43 consecutive races without a retirement, all of which were in the points, with his last DNF also occurring at Albert Park in 2022.
He acknowledged that Red Bull’s strong reliability in recent races eased the disappointment of his retirement.
Verstappen believed his car felt normal and well-balanced during the recon laps to the grid and was confident of securing his third consecutive win of the season.
He expressed disappointment, stating, “I’m disappointed not to finish the race because I believe we had a good chance of winning.”
“The balance felt quite nice during those laps to the grid, and I felt confident, which was a good improvement compared to the long runs we did in practice. However, some things are beyond our control.”
