The start of the 2026 season is already turning into a nightmare for Max Verstappen. The four-time world champion crashed in Q1 during qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix.
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Qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix quickly turned into a drama for Max Verstappen. The Red Bull Racing driver was the victim of a spectacular accident during the first part of qualifying held at the Albert Park circuit in Melbourne.
At the time of the incident, the Q1 session had just passed its midpoint and Verstappen had still not set a time. The Dutchman had just started a flying lap, with the aim of securing his place for the rest of qualifying.
But things went brutally wrong approaching the first corner.
A loss of control under braking
Arriving at the end of the pit straight and preparing his braking for the first corner, the RB22 suddenly escaped its driver. The car went sideways across the track, completely surprising the four-time world champion.
The car then spun before heading towards the gravel trap at the first corner. Unable to regain control, Verstappen crossed the run-off area before ending his run against the safety barriers.
The impact immediately caused the session to be interrupted. Race control deployed a red flag to allow the car to be evacuated and the track to be cleaned.
A very frustrated reaction on the radio
Shortly after the accident, the team immediately contacted their driver to check his condition. Fortunately, Verstappen emerged unscathed from the incident.
The Dutch driver, however, did not hide his frustration when explaining what had just happened.
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“The car locked up on the fucking rear axles! Fantastic!” he shouted over the radio, visibly very annoyed by the situation.
This incident marks a particularly complicated start to the weekend for the world champion, who was hoping to start the Formula 1 season on a positive note.
A start from the back of the grid on Sunday
Direct consequence of this accident: Verstappen was unable to record a time during this Q1 session. The Red Bull driver will therefore be forced to start from the back of the grid during the race.
A scenario far from ideal for the four-time world champion, who will now have to count on a spectacular comeback to limit the damage during this opening round.
On a street circuit like Albert Park, where overtaking can sometimes be complicated, the task promises to be particularly difficult.
This unexpected crash could already reshuffle the deck at the start of the season, as Verstappen was aiming for another dominant start in his quest for a fifth world title.
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