F1
Verstappen on the problems: "It's frustrating for me, but also for the rest of the team."
© Fabrizio Boldoni / DPPI
Relegated to the back of the pack at the start of the Sprint, Max Verstappen experienced the same mishap this Sunday, at the start of the Grand Prix. Red Bull The Dutchman didn't want to get off the line quickly, and the four-time world champion found himself in a similar position to Australia, where he had to work his way back through the pack. This allowed the others to get away. Mercedes Benz et Classic Ferrari for sale ahead, but Verstappen believes he couldn't have stayed with them anyway.
"Same problem as yesterday! The procedure was different, though. I don't understand why this is still happening (at the start - Ed.), it makes things much more difficult for us in the race afterwards.", he explained to Canal+. “Even back in a normal position, I wouldn’t have had any pace compared to Mercedes and Ferrari. I suffered a lot of degradation and there’s not much you can do in those situations. You’re just a passenger in the car and you make do with what the tires can give.”
While he managed to finish sixth in Melbourne, Max Verstappen was forced to retire after 45 laps this time. A problem with the cooling of the energy recovery system made the race considerably more difficult. With Japan just two weeks away, the driver of car number 3 hopes that he and his team can use the enforced break following the cancellations of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix in April to improve the situation before the season's return. F1 in Miami in May.
“We then had to retire due to ERS cooling problems. There’s a lot to learn; this isn’t where we’d like to be right now.”he explained to the official F1 website. “I can see that the team is giving everything it has. It’s frustrating for me, but also for the rest of the team. We need to figure out what the problems are and find solutions together. We’ll do our best to be better in Japan, but then there will be a long break which could be useful for us to find solutions.”
ALSO READ > Official – The Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix have been cancelled, the season now consists of 22 GPs
-
Collector's item Renault 5 Turbo
11,90€ NEW -
7,90€ INDISPENSABLE -
Collector Ferrari Legendary Duos
11,90€ NEW
Continue reading on these topics:
Read also
Yves-Henri RANDIER
15/03/2026 at 06:18 a.m.
Lacking the thrill of driving and the frustration of F1, the Dutchman can enjoy himself in GT3 during the upcoming involuntary hiatus! Apparently, the South African Minister of Sport recently approached F1 following the double cancellation of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia to explore the possibility of F1 returning to South Africa at the end of the 2026 season...