During the third lap of the Australian Grand Prix, Max Varstappen, the record-holding nine times Grand Prix winner and Red Bull F1 driver, began noticing failures within his vehicle. As he pulled into the pits for a quick check, the RB20 (right rear brake) on his car burst into flames, damaging both the engine and the body of his car. This disqualified him from the rest of the race.
During a later review of the race, the Red Bull team noticed the RB20 of Verstappen’s car had not disengaged. In a later interview with Verstappen, he said it felt like,” driving with the handbrake engaged in his car.” His turns became significantly more pronounced and his car became harder to control.
At the end of the third lap when he pulled into the pits, the brake caused a minor explosion in the rear of his car, where the engine was located. The fire was quickly put out by the crew, but the brake caused him to be disqualified and retire in the third lap.
A later inspection of the car showed that there was a loose screw in the car, causing his brake to become damaged and lock up. After weeks of work on his Honda engine, the team has managed to check and repair all issues with the engine, including the brake pads alongside the disk. They have begun planning a new design to prevent further issues with the brake.
