Verstappen under scrutiny
Max Verstappen is facing fan and media scrutiny after a significant qualifying crash in Australia and a run of sub‑par results early in the season — questions are mounting about his switch to a new car number and early reliability. (nine.com.au)
Verstappen sits eighth in the 2026 drivers’ standings with eight points after two rounds, 43 points adrift of championship leader George Russell (51 points). (formula1.com)) The Melbourne incident occurred during Q1 at Albert Park on March 7 when Verstappen’s RB22 spun into the Turn 1 gravel, recorded no lap time and brought out a red flag; he told engineers the rear axle “completely locked” under braking. (formula1.com)) Starting from the back after qualifying, Verstappen recovered through the field to finish sixth in the Australian Grand Prix, converting a P20 grid slot into points on race day. (formula1.com)) In Shanghai he retired with a cooling-related mechanical failure that Red Bull later attributed to a coolant/ERS fault, a reliability issue the team’s race report and principal Laurent Mekies confirmed. (planetf1.com)) Verstappen switched to the permanent race number 3 for 2026 — the digit last used by Daniel Ricciardo — and media/fans have since amplified a “number three” or “Ricciardo” curse narrative after Verstappen’s early DNF/DSQ incidents. (formula1.com)) The driver has publicly criticised the 2026 regulations and described the RB22 as extremely difficult to drive after Shanghai, comments an ally says have been fuelled by the team’s poor start; his next on-track opportunity to respond comes at the Japanese Grand Prix. (nytimes.com))
