Max Verstappen had moments of frustration captured on the radio during the Australian GP on Sunday (8), after encountering Arvid Lindblad, from Racing Bulls, while exiting the pit lane. The Dutchman, who started in 20th after a crash in qualifying, found it difficult to overtake the only rookie on the Formula 1 grid in 2026.
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Verstappen felt that Lindblad exceeded the limits during the battle in the pit lane. On lap 19, during a second virtual safety car, both made their only stops. The four-time champion entered the pit directly behind the Briton and, initially, seemed to gain an advantage over the young pilot.
However, frustrated with Lindblad’s maneuver, Verstappen snapped over the radio: “Brake testing me, f***!” Race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase replied: “Repeat, Max.” The Dutchman insisted: “I was brake tested the whole pit lane.” Lambiase ended the communication with a dry: “Understood, thank you.”
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The stewards did not record any irregularities, and no investigation was opened. Lindblad, for his part, finished the race in eighth place in his Formula 1 debut and described his debut as “perfect,” claiming he made no mistakes.
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