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The Dutchman converted pole position into the early lead, which he ceded to Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz in the opening laps around Albert Park.
Matters became even worse when it became apparent that smoke was blowing from his RB20 and Verstappen ultimately had to pit as the brake had caught fire.
“My right-rear brake basically stuck on from when the [start] lights went off, so the temperatures just kept on increasing until the point, of course, that it caught fire,” he recounted.
Verstappen had been rounded up by Sainz with the benefit of DRS on Lakeside Drive but had also reported that his car felt “loose” when he was overtaken by the Ferrari.
He said he was not aware of the brake issue specifically, but that something felt amiss almost from the off.
“I mean, I had that moment, of course, after the first lap, but then already the temperature was increasing and increasing,” said Verstappen.
“So, it just works like a handbrake, but of course, I didn’t know that stuff was happening.
“I just felt the balance in the car was off.”
According to the 26-year-old, Red Bull Racing is unsure yet of the root cause.
“I mean, they could see what was going on, but they don’t know what caused it,” he advised.
Verstappen did, however, have an explanation for his “it’s f***ing stupid” comment to a mechanic.
“Well, that was related to us doing a pit stop while the cars on fire,” he laughed.
“I was like, ‘Why are we doing a pit stop?’ but that was it.”
Verstappen is likely to still lead the championship despite his first DNF since the 2022 Australian GP.
