Red Bull Assess Damage to Max Verstappen’s Car After Scary Australian GP Practice Moment
Red Bull Racing have confirmed that there is notable damage to Max Verstappen’s car following a dramatic moment during practice for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
The reigning four-time world champion endured a tense episode during the second free practice session at Albert Park Circuit after losing control and running wide into the gravel trap.
Verstappen had been building speed during the session when he approached Turn 10 of the fast street circuit and suddenly slid off the track. Fortunately, the Dutch driver managed to keep the situation from turning into a heavier crash, but the excursion still caused considerable damage to his car.
As the Red Bull machine bounced through the gravel, the impact tore into the underside of the car. Pieces of carbon fibre could be seen flying behind the RB22 as Verstappen attempted to regain control and return to the circuit.
After the session, Red Bull’s chief engineer Paul Monaghan admitted that the team had plenty of repair work ahead of them.
“I’ll say there’s enough to keep us busy,” Monaghan explained when asked about the damage sustained during the incident.
Despite the alarming moment, the engineer reassured fans that the situation was far from catastrophic. According to him, the damage—mainly to the floor of the car—is manageable and should not prevent the team from continuing its preparations for the race weekend.
“It’s recoverable,” he added. “It’s nothing too drastic, but it was quite a hit. We’ll tidy everything up and get ready to go again.”
The floor of a Formula 1 car is one of the most critical aerodynamic components, meaning any damage can significantly affect performance. However, Red Bull mechanics are experienced at making rapid repairs during race weekends, and the team remains confident that Verstappen’s car will be fully prepared for the next sessions.
Even after the scare, Verstappen managed to complete the session and finished sixth fastest overall. His best lap time of 1:20.366 left him 0.637 seconds behind the session leader.
That top time was set by Australian driver Oscar Piastri, who thrilled home fans by going quickest for McLaren. Piastri posted an impressive lap of 1:19.729, making him one of only two drivers to break the 1 minute 20 second barrier during the session.
Young Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli finished second fastest for Mercedes, just 0.214 seconds behind Piastri’s benchmark time.
Although Verstappen’s off-track moment disrupted Red Bull’s running, Monaghan said he was generally pleased with the team’s performance during the opening day of practice. The 2026 season marks a significant milestone for the team, as they are running their own power unit for the first time.
“Fantastic,” Monaghan said while reflecting on the day’s progress. “We have a brand-new engine that we’ve developed ourselves, a completely new car, and new regulations. Both cars left the pit lane at the start of the first practice session and were competitive straight away.”
The engineer also spoke about Verstappen’s new teammate, Isack Hadjar, who is still adapting to life at Red Bull.
According to Monaghan, Hadjar has already shown strong determination and a clear understanding of what he wants from the car, while Verstappen continues to demonstrate the relentless competitive spirit that has made him one of the sport’s most dominant drivers.
“Isack is getting his head around everything,” Monaghan explained. “He’s quite direct and knows what he’s looking for. As for Max, he’s the same as always — extremely driven and always pushing.”
Despite the small setbacks experienced in the second practice session, Monaghan believes the RB22 appears well balanced overall. The team’s main priority heading into the remainder of the weekend is to better understand how to extract consistent performance from the new car.
“Our goal tomorrow is to work out how to get the best laps out of this car, whether it’s in qualifying trim or race conditions,” he said. “We want to be able to repeat that performance consistently and know we’ll get it right.”
With more practice sessions still to come in Melbourne, Red Bull will now focus on repairing Verstappen’s car and fine-tuning their setup as they aim to challenge for victory in the opening race of the season. 🏁
