The four-time world champion Max Verstappen suffered a surprising crash during qualifying for the Formula 1 Australian GP in Melbourne. The crash, considered unusual for the Red Bull driver, raised questions about what actually happened to the car at the Albert Park Circuit.
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Upon starting the flying lap still in Q1, the rear axle of the RB22 locked up at the first corner, throwing the car off the track and into the wall. “Losing the car like that under braking, I’ve never experienced that in my life,” Verstappen told the press.]
Former driver Jolyon Palmer commented that the incident may be linked to the aggressive braking style of the Red Bull car. According to Palmer, Laurent Mekies, head of the Austrian team, confirmed that the Dutchman braked hard upon reaching the first corner.
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On the F1 Nation podcast, Palmer said: ‘They have a car that is extremely aggressive on rear braking and MGU-K energy recovery. Max perhaps braked too hard and exceeded the limit with a bit of rear axle mischief.”
He added: ‘If the team can’t identify anything obvious, that’s a big concern, as it could happen again. But if you brake at or above the maximum limit, eventually something has to give,” he concluded.
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