Max Verstappen Faces Repairs After Practice Incident at Australian Grand Prix
Max Verstappen experienced a concerning moment during practice for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, resulting in damage to his Red Bull car. The incident occurred at Turn 10 of Melbourne’s Albert Park, where Verstappen briefly ran off track into the gravel.
While avoiding a major crash, the impact significantly affected the car’s floor, with carbon fibre debris scattering across the track. Red Bull’s chief engineer, Paul Monaghan, acknowledged the extent of the damage, stating, “I’ll say there’s enough to keep us busy.” He reassured fans that the damage was “recoverable” but admitted it was a “bit of a thump,” requiring repairs before the next session.
Verstappen’s Practice Performance
Despite the setback, Verstappen managed to finish sixth quickest in the practice session, clocking a time of 1:20.366s. This placed him 0.637s behind Oscar Piastri of McLaren, who set the pace with a blistering 1:19.729s. Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli followed closely in second.
Red Bull’s New Power Unit and Overall Performance
Monaghan expressed satisfaction with the overall performance of the RB22, especially considering it’s the first season Red Bull is utilizing its own power unit. “Fantastic,” he exclaimed. “Brand new engine, our own, new car, new rules, and both cars were competitive straight off.”
He also commented on the progress of Verstappen’s new teammate, Isack Hadjar, noting his directness and understanding of the car’s requirements. “Max is typically driven, a competitive soul,” Monaghan added.
Looking Ahead to Qualifying and the Race
The team identified minor issues in the second practice session that hindered their progress. Their primary focus now is on optimizing the car’s performance for both qualifying and the race. “Our main objective tomorrow is to sort out how we get laps out of this car…and how we learn to repeatedly do that, and know we’re going to get it right,” Monaghan explained.
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