Max retires from Australian GP with technical issues: 'Work to be done'

Published on 10 April 2022 by Kees-Jan Koster

Max Verstappen retired from the Australian Grand Prix with technical issues. The Dutchman who started from second position, stayed almost the whole race in P2 behind Charles Leclerc. In lap 39 Max had to park the car alongside the track because of technical issues. The second time this season for Verstappen not being able to finish a race. Charles Leclerc took his second victory this season dominantly. Behind the Monegasque finished Sergio Perez in P2 and George Russell finished in third position, taking his first podium for Mercedes.

After the race a disappointed Max says: “It was just bad. I do not know what to think of it now, but there is work to be done. I do not know what the issue was exactly. When we get the car back, we will see. In general, it was a bad day again. Not really having the pace, I was just managing the tyres. It looked like quite an easy P2. I knew I could not fight Charles, so there was no point in trying to put pressure on him. But we did not even finish the race, it is really frustrating and unacceptable.”

Just before the race started Oracle Red Bull Racing engineers were still working on Max’ RB18, so the retirement did not come completely out of the blue: “I knew there was a problem”, says Max. “It was always going to be a question mark if we were finishing the race, but these kinds of things cannot happen if you want to fight for the title.”

The second DNF for Verstappen this season severely hampers his chances for the championship this year: “I cannot think of the championship at the moment, first we have to finish races. We had to retire twice so we were miles away.”

It is dry and sunny at the crowded Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne, where for the first time since 2019 a Grand Prix takes place again. All cars in the top eight are on the medium compound tyres, while Carlos Sainz in P9 is the first driver to be on the hard tyre. Max has a good start, but polesitter Charles Leclerc also comes away well and holds on to the lead. Behind Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton goes from P5 up to P3 in turn one. Sergio Perez and George Russel follow in P4 and P5, while Lando Norris loses two places. The field gets through the first lap without any issues, but Carlos Sainz brakes too late for turn nine. The Spaniard spins on the slippery grass and slides into the gravel trap in which he gets stuck. The Ferrari driver is the first to retire from the race and the Safety Car comes out on track.

In lap seven the field is released at which there are no changes in position. Perez increases the pressure on Hamilton and the Mexican overtakes the Mercedes driver in turn three with the assistance of DRS. Verstappen is losing ground to Leclerc every lap and the gap has increased to over eight seconds when Max goes into the pits for a tyre change in lap nineteen. The Red Bull Racing mechanics change the medium tyres for a set of hard tyres and Max comes out on track in seventh position, just in front of Fernando Alonso and Pierre Gasly.

Leader Leclerc comes into the pits in lap 22 and the Monegasque stays in the lead after his stop. Hamilton also makes his pitstop and comes out back on track just in front of Perez. Perez can attack Hamilton straight away on his warmer tyres and can overtake the seven-time world champion in turn nine. Hamilton tries to counter on the straight but then the Safety Car comes out again. Sebastian Vettel lost the rear of his Aston Martin when exiting turn four and crashes on the inside against the wall. The German finishes his run of bad luck in minor. The Safety Car allows George Russell to change his tyres and to come back on track in third position, overtaking Perez and teammate Hamilton.

In lap 27 the Safety Car comes back in. Leclerc has a bad restart and Verstappen comes alongside the Ferrari driver when entering turn one, but Max is unable to pass Leclerc. Behind them are Russell in P3 and Alonso in fourth position, but the Spaniard still must make his mandatory pitstop. Perez quickly overtakes Alonso and the Mexican closes in on Russell. The Brit can stay ahead of Perez for a couple of laps but is finally overtaken by Perez in turn 11.

Verstappen who is not able to get close to leader Leclerc, suffer from technical issues in lap 39. The Dutchman parks his RB18 alongside the track at turn two and gets out of the car disillusioned. It is the second DNF for Verstappen in three races. In the lead is Leclerc who races to his second victory of the season unthreatened. Perez finishes second and takes his first podium of the season, while George Russell finishes third. Mercedes teammate Hamilton finishes fourth, with both the McLarens of Lando Norris and home race driver Daniel Ricciardo in P5 and P6. Esteban Ocon finishes in P7, while Valtteri Bottas, Piere Gasly and Alexander Albon complete the top ten. Albon drove the whole race on one set of hard tyres and only makes his mandatory pitstop on the last lap, scoring a point for Williams.

Results Grand Prix Australia: