Max Verstappen Suffers Injury Scare After Dramatic Crash in Qualifying at the Australian Grand Prix
Four-time Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen endured a frightening moment during qualifying for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix after a heavy crash raised concerns about a potential injury before the race had even begun.
The incident occurred early in Saturday’s qualifying session at the iconic Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne, where the Dutch driver lost control of his new Red Bull RB22 during Q1. With only a few minutes of running completed, Verstappen’s session came to an abrupt end when his car spun off the track at the first corner and slammed into the barriers after sliding through the gravel trap.
The sudden crash shocked spectators and teams alike, as Verstappen had been expected to play a key role in the battle for pole position. Instead, the reigning champion found himself eliminated from qualifying almost immediately.
Moments after the collision, Verstappen reassured his team over the radio that he was unharmed, although he appeared frustrated by what caused the incident.
“The car just locked on the rear axles,” he said over team radio in a clearly irritated tone. “Fantastic.”
Despite the impact, Verstappen was able to climb out of the damaged Red Bull car without assistance. However, concerns quickly emerged among commentators and analysts about the way the crash unfolded, particularly regarding the position of his hands during the moment of impact.
Former F1 driver and Sky Sports commentator Martin Brundle immediately raised the issue during the live broadcast, noting that Verstappen appeared to keep his hands firmly on the steering wheel when the car hit the wall — something that can potentially lead to wrist injuries in high-speed crashes.
Brundle explained that drivers are often advised to remove their hands from the steering wheel when an impact is unavoidable to reduce the risk of injury.
“Max was looking down and moving his hands a little afterwards,” Brundle said on air. “I think he might have given himself a bit of a knock there because it looked like he kept his hands on the steering wheel. That can sometimes break your wrists.”
The former F1 racer also explained the technique he preferred during crashes.
“If I knew an accident was coming, I would always try to take my hands off the wheel and place them on my chest,” he added. “Some drivers follow that approach, while others choose to keep control of the steering wheel.”
Fellow commentator David Croft later confirmed the observation after reviewing Verstappen’s onboard footage from the crash. According to Croft, the footage showed that the Red Bull driver indeed kept his hands on the wheel as the car made contact with the barrier.
Following the accident, Verstappen headed directly to the medical centre at Albert Park for precautionary checks. Observers noticed that he appeared to be feeling some discomfort in his hand as he walked away from the crash site, which further fueled speculation that he might have sustained a minor injury.
Fortunately for Verstappen and his team, the situation proved less serious than initially feared. Reports from inside the paddock later confirmed that the 28-year-old had been cleared by medical staff and was not dealing with any significant injury.
Although the crash ended his qualifying session prematurely, Verstappen was ultimately declared fit to continue the race weekend.
However, the incident still leaves the defending champion facing a difficult challenge when the lights go out for Sunday’s race. Because he failed to set a competitive lap time in Q1, Verstappen will start the 58-lap Australian Grand Prix from the very back of the grid in 20th position.
Starting from last place on a tight street circuit like Albert Park will make his task extremely challenging, but Verstappen has built a reputation for producing remarkable comeback drives.
Fans will now be watching closely to see whether the Red Bull star can fight his way through the field and recover from what has already been a dramatic start to the 2026 Formula 1 season.
