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Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen didn’t have the start to the 2026 Formula 1 season that he would have liked at Albert Park.
Max Verstappen started from his lowest grid position since the 2021 Russian Grand Prix after a crash in qualifying.
Red Bull couldn’t offer Martin Brundle an explanation for Verstappen’s crash, with the Dutchman seemingly having absolutely no chance of making the first corner in Q1 after a rear axle lock-up.
Some standout performers in Melbourne 👀 Who was you Driver of the Day at the Australian GP?
It meant Verstappen’s Red Bull was parked in P20 for the start of the Australian Grand Prix, although he did benefit from both Nico Hulkenberg and Oscar Piastri not reaching the grid.
The 28-year-old scythed through the field in an impressive manner during the opening stint on the hard tyres before eventually ending up finishing sixth behind McLaren’s Lando Norris.
However, Verstappen was already starting on the back foot after suffering with a battery issue on his way to the grid on Sunday.
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Max Verstappen complained his ‘battery is empty’ on the grid at the Australian Grand Prix
Verstappen was approaching the grid and complaining about the same issue that hampered both Mercedes drivers and many of their rivals.
He said as he came around the final corner: “Mate, my battery is empty.
“It just doesn’t charge. Ahh, the battery mate, f— sake.”
The Dutchman got bogged down, and immediately a fast-starting Carlos Sainz stormed ahead of him as he went past the stricken Liam Lawson.
A first fastest lap of the season for Max Verstappen! Where would he have finished if he started in the top 10?
Verstappen stuck to the outside line going into the first chicane before cautiously approaching turns three and four, driving alongside Franco Colapinto.
Many drivers lost positions off the line because their batteries wouldn’t charge during the formation lap.
Formula 1 was also incredibly lucky that Colapinto didn’t hit Lawson at a very high speed, which would have put the spotlight even more on an issue that drivers have been complaining about since pre-season testing.
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Helmut Marko suggests Max Verstappen ‘does not look very excited’ about the 2026 F1 season
Although he’s no longer in the paddock, former Red Bull chief advisor Helmut Marko was keeping a close eye on all of the action in Melbourne.
Speaking to GPBlog, he said: “Today I didn’t speak with him, but I saw his face, and he did not look very excited…
“No, it started with the qualifying crash from Max. And in the race, I think Hadjar did a good job, but then the engine failed.”
Although Verstappen made up 14 positions during the race, he wasn’t particularly satisfied when speaking to the media following the chequered flag.
He suggested that racing against cars two seconds slower than his Red Bull was ‘a bit strange’, and ‘clean’ racing was more important than anything else.
Speaking to the assembled press after the race, Verstappen explained that this current ruleset should be a concern for the FIA.
“I think the FIA should worry about these rules; let’s focus on this,” Verstappen explained.
“They ask me questions, and I express my opinion on what I would like to see and what I think is best for this sport, because I really care. I love racing. I wish it were better than this, so let’s see what we can do.
“Drivers or fans, we only want the best for Formula 1, it’s not that we’re critical just for the sake of being critical. We wanted it to be real F1, not a version on steroids, but today, once again, that wasn’t the case”.
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