Max Verstappen Reveals Anticipating the DNF Well Before the Start of Australian GP

The return of the Australian Grand Prix provided some memorable racing action. Charles Leclerc cruised to a victory and extended his lead on the top of the driver’s standings. His closest rival, Max Verstappen, once again suffered issues with reliability and retired the car with 19 laps left. With 2 victories in 3 rounds, Leclerc and Ferrari are comfortably on top of the leaderboard.

Meanwhile, the Dutchman is already 46 points behind the Ferrari driver. The race in Albert Park was his second retirement in 2022, matching his 2021 DNF results in just three races. On lap 39, Verstappen immediately pulled to the side of the track because of fuel leakage. Subsequently, his teammate Sergio Perez and Mercedes’ George Russell finished on the podium.

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After the Grand Prix, the reigning World Champion revealed there were warning signs even before the race started. He will hope his team can fix the issues ahead of the race in Italy.

Max Verstappen sensed danger ahead of the race

The Australian Grand Prix did not go according to plan for Red Bull and their primary driver, Max Verstappen. Having signed a new contract ahead of the 2022 season, he will be disappointed with the start of the season after 3 rounds. Verstappen also revealed that he recognized the issues with the car ahead of the race.

He said, “It is very disappointing. I don’t know what happened. I had an indication before the start that it would be difficult to finish. But you try not to think about that during the race, you just have to stay focused.”

The introduction of the safety car in lap 23 saw Verstappen and Leclerc battle for the top spot again after the restart. However, a fuel leakage in lap 39 meant that the Dutchman had to pull the car to the side. A frustrated Verstappen bemoaned on the radio as Red Bull’s reliability issues continue.

Team boss, Christian Horner, also echoed the Dutchman’s frustration. He admitted the Red Bull are yet to find out the reason for the fuel leakage amid Leclerc’s domination.

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George Russell and Lewis Hamilton once again took advantage of Red Bull’s misery. They finished 3rd and 4th as they secured valuable points for Mercedes who are now second in the Constructors’ Championship. Horner and Co will hope the Milton-Keynes team can fix their issues ahead of the race in Imola in two weeks’ time.