Max Verstappen gravel scare in Melbourne: How serious is the Red Bull damage?

Four-time Formula One world champion Max Verstappen avoided a major incident but damaged his car during practice for the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park Circuit.

Verstappen ran wide at Turn 10 during the second practice session and slid into the gravel trap while pushing for pace. The Red Bull car bounced through the gravel, shredding part of the floor as fragments of carbon fibre flew off behind the car.

Despite the damage, Verstappen managed to continue the session and eventually finished sixth fastest with a lap time of 1:20.366.

Red Bull chief engineer Paul Monaghan acknowledged the impact had caused noticeable damage but said the car could be repaired. “I’ll say there’s enough to keep us busy,” Monaghan said. “It’s recoverable. It’s nothing that drastic, but it’s a bit of a thump, so we’ll tidy it up and go again.”

Piastri sets the pace

Local driver Oscar Piastri topped the timesheets for McLaren, setting the fastest lap of the day at 1:19.729.

Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli finished second, just 0.214 seconds behind the McLaren driver.

Encouraging start for Red Bull

Despite the incident, Monaghan said the opening sessions were encouraging for Red Bull Racing, particularly as the team is running a newly developed power unit alongside a new car. “Brand new engine, our own, new car, new rules, and both cars went out of the pit lane at the start of P1, and both were competitive straight off,” he said.

Monaghan also praised Verstappen’s new teammate Isack Hadjar, saying the young driver is still adapting to the car.“Isack’s getting his head around it. Max is typically driven, a competitive soul,” he added.

Red Bull will now focus on repairing the damage and fine-tuning the car ahead of qualifying and race preparations for the season-opening Grand Prix in Melbourne.