by VALERIO BARRETTA
Melbourne, Verstappen knocked out
The Australian Grand Prix begins immediately with a twist. After two laps, in fact, Max Verstappen he suffered brake problems on the right rear of the RB20 and had to withdraw from the race.
The world champion, who started from pole position, kept the lead on the first lap, but was overtaken by Carlos Sainz at the end of the fast section before the Waite curve. A maneuver that was even too banal and explained precisely by Red Bull's problems: after four laps, in fact, the world champion returned to the pits with the right rear brake basket bell completely burned out.
The smoke on the RB20
This is the eloquent image of the smoke coming out of the RB20.
Verstappen's retirement opens the door for Sainz and will certainly shake up a World Championship that has so far been dominated by super Max.
Verstappen's last retirement from a GP dates back to Melbourne, in 2022. The Dutchman thus interrupts the streak of nine consecutive victories and 43 consecutive races with points: the record remains with Lewis Hamilton, who has accumulated 48 since Silverstone 2018 at the 2020 Bahrain GP.
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