Max Verstappen’s 2026 Formula One campaign began in catastrophic fashion as the four-time world champion crashed out during the opening segment of qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix.
The Dutchman lost control of his Red Bull under braking at the first corner on his initial flying lap, spinning violently before sliding through the gravel and into the barriers.
Verstappen fumed over team radio: “The car just f***ing locked on the rear axles, fantastic.”
Having failed to register a time before the incident, the 71-time race winner was immediately eliminated from the session and will start Sunday’s race from the back of the grid.
Footage captured Verstappen shaking his hand and wrist as he exited the cockpit, after which he headed to the medical centre for precautionary checks.
The qualifying session belonged emphatically to George Russell, who delivered a commanding performance to secure pole position for the season opener.
Russell finished 0.293 seconds clear of teammate Kimi Antonelli, with Mercedes completing a front-row lockout that underlined their status as early championship favourites.
The gap to the rest of the field proved even more striking, with Russell finishing almost eight tenths faster than the nearest non-Mercedes competitor.
Max Verstappen’s 2026 Formula One campaign began in catastrophic fashion as the four-time world champion crashed out
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Russell said afterwards: “It was a great day, we knew there was a lot of potential in the car but until you get to the first Saturday of this season you never know.”
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff was seen embracing his team on the pit wall as the scale of their advantage became apparent.
Antonelli’s dramatic day took another turn when stewards announced an investigation into the Italian teenager for leaving the pits in an “unsafe condition” during Q3.
Two cooling fans remained attached to the right-hand sidepod of his Mercedes as he emerged onto the circuit, with the components subsequently falling onto the track.
The Dutchman lost control of his Red Bull under braking at the first corner on his initial flying lap
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One piece landed in the gravel at the opening corner, while the other ended up on the straight where Norris drove directly over it.
The impact sent debris shattering across the racing surface, prompting an immediate red flag.
McLaren’s mechanics were forced to repair Norris’s front wing using duct tape for the remainder of qualifying.
Any penalties resulting from the investigation will be announced before Sunday’s race.
The Red Bull violently slid through the gravel and into the barriers
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Isack Hadjar secured an impressive third place on his Red Bull debut, although he finished almost eight tenths adrift of Russell’s benchmark time.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc claimed fourth position, with Oscar Piastri taking fifth for McLaren.
Defending world champion Lando Norris will begin his title defence from sixth on the grid, having struggled throughout the weekend and ending up nearly a full second behind his compatriot Russell.
Lewis Hamilton lines up seventh in his Ferrari, finishing a tenth and a half slower than teammate Leclerc and becoming the last driver to lap within one second of pole position.
Further down the order, Fernando Alonso qualified 17th for Aston Martin, while teammate Lance Stroll failed to post a time due to ongoing Honda power unit problems.
