Max Verstappen’s qualifying session for the opening race of the 2026 Formula 1 season ended prematurely after a heavy crash during the first segment at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, Idman.Biz reports.
The incident occurred at the opening corner of the Albert Park circuit and immediately brought out red flags. While braking into Turn 1, the rear axle of the Red Bull car locked, causing the RB22 to spin uncontrollably. The car slid through the gravel trap before hitting the barriers.
Verstappen was able to climb out of the cockpit without assistance but reported over team radio that the car had suffered a sudden lock-up. Because of the crash, the Dutchman failed to set a representative lap time and will start Sunday’s race from 20th on the grid. Red Bull later confirmed significant damage to the floor and rear suspension of the car.
The Verstappen accident was not the only dramatic moment of the weekend. Earlier in the second practice session, Lewis Hamilton, narrowly avoided a collision with Alpine driver Franco Colapinto. On the main straight, Colapinto’s car suddenly lost speed due to a technical issue described as a “false neutral”. Hamilton managed to evade the slower car at the last moment before reacting angrily over the radio, saying: “That car was going damn slow.”
Stewards reviewed the incident but decided not to penalise Colapinto, accepting that the sudden slowdown had been caused by a mechanical fault.
In qualifying, Mercedes driver George Russell secured pole position, while McLaren’s Oscar Piastri set the second-fastest time. Hamilton completed the top three as Ferrari showed promising pace ahead of the season-opening race.
