Red Bull's Max Verstappen crashed out of the Australian Grand Prix after his car suffered a reliability problem and stopped during his 39th lap with smoke billowing out.

F1: World Champion Verstappen Out Of Australian Grand Prix

Last updated Apr 10, 2022

Formula One world champion Max Verstappen’s Australian Grand Prix came to an end on Sunday as the Red Bull driver’s car suffered a reliability problem and rolled to a halt during his 39th lap with smoke billowing out.

It became Verstappen’s second non-finish of the season, having also suffered one at the opening race in Bahrain, where he retired three laps from the end while on course for a second-place finish.

Verstappen was second behind Leclerc when his car suffered the problem at the Australian Grand Prix.

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen (L) inspects his car after stopping during the Australian Grand Prix

“I smell some weird fluid,” said the Dutchman before coming to a stop at turn two.

Yet he would have had little hope of reeling in Leclerc.

“I knew I could not fight Charles so there was no point to try and put pressure on him,” Verstappen said in an interview.

“But we didn’t even finish the race so it’s pretty frustrating and unacceptable.”

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Chidi Nwoke/Reuters.