Verstappen let down by the mechanics: “A delay of 46 points is already a huge gap”

The wearer of number 1 thought he would launch his defense of the title thanks to a muscular victory on the night of Jeddah (Saudi Arabia). Two weeks later, Max Verstappen followed the end of the race since the Australian Grand Prix paddock, exactly as he had reluctantly done in Bahrain.

The Dutchman seemed to be sailing towards a second place, synonymous with valuable points for the championship. After all, the Ferrari de Charles Leclerc was impregnable, despite a second Safety-Car restart where the hope of an overtake reignited the flame in the Anglo-Austrian team clan:

However, at the start of the 40th lap, Max Verstappen parked at the side of the track! The cause of the abandonment is still unknown but one thing is certain: reliability is expensive for Red Bull in this spring of 2022.

“I don’t know what happened. Of course, what happened is unacceptable. It can't work like that if we want to fight for the championship.", initially soberly declared the outgoing champion. He finds himself rejected almost 2 victories away in the general classification from the winner, Charles Leclerc.

“I do not accept the situation, He continues. We have to work. A delay of 46 points is already a huge gap. What we need is a car faster than the Ferrari, but we don't have it at the moment. It's going to be complicated, but that's how it is. I cannot change this situation. It's up to the team to make things change. »

Max Verstappen tries as best he can to contain his frustration. “The whole weekend was negative: the pace in the race was not good at all and I couldn't fight with Charles because my tires were destroyed quickly. There was too much graining on the rubbers. 

We wouldn't have won the Grand Prix but finishing second would have brought back quite a few points. We must ensure that this does not happen again. »