The 2024 Australian Grand Prix has just taken Max Verstappen as its victim, with the Dutchman out of the race. Ending a run of 43 consecutive finished races, Verstappen had to pull out of the race in Lap 3 despite a decently strong start. With this, Verstappen’s nine-race win streak also comes to an end.
Carlos Sainz, who started the race from P2, overtook Max Verstappen on the second lap, and the Red Bull driver could do little to defend his position. Seconds later, Verstappen complained of losing the car temporarily, not knowing what went wrong with it. Soon after, his pace dropped further and smoke started coming off the back of his car.
It was evident that Verstappen had to retire from the race after that. A fire coming out from the back of his car was the final straw, as the three-time world champion tip-toed into the pit lane, in what was a rare sight for fans. With Verstappen out, Sergio Perez remains the only Red Bull driver out on the track. The Mexican needs to do a stellar job of bringing home some points to minimize the damage to their overall tally.
Verstappen’s DNF presented a golden opportunity for Ferrari to emerge victorious in Melbourne. Just two weeks have passes since his appendicitis surgery, but Sainz looks fitter than ever and became the firm favorite to win the outing.
Max Verstappen’s DNF in Melbourne shocks the world
Verstappen was seemingly unbeatable, so watching smoke come out of his car sent fans into a frenzy. Furthermore, the F1 community was shocked when they saw DNF written next to the Dutch driver’s name. Fans, and even teams on social media had hilarious reactions to Verstappen’s retirement.
Alpine, who are struggling at the back of the grid themselves, decided to make a joke when both their drivers overtook Verstappen’s damaged car. They labeled the move as a “double overtake”
Memes and reactions were aplenty, as Verstappen got out of his car. The Dutchman finished 43 consecutive races, with his last retirement coming at this very track back in 2022, when Charles Leclerc won.
As soon as Sainz passed Verstappen and the latter retired a lap later, he became the firm favorite to win the race. The Madrid-born driver rarely put a foot wrong, and was inch perfect despite undergoing surgery just two weeks ago.
