Christian Horner reacts to Max Verstappen’s tense clash with mechanic in Red Bull garage

After only five laps into the Australian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen had to retire due to a brake fire that caused significant damage to the rear-right corner of his Red Bull car, resulting in the Dutch driver feeling aggravated.

Christian Horner clarified the situation following a tense conversation between Max Verstappen and a Red Bull mechanic after his disappointing retirement in Australia.

Verstappen started the Australian Grand Prix on pole and primed to win a 10th-straight F1 race. But smoke began to pour out the back of his car within moments of the race start, as Carlos Sainz swept past him easily.

And it was all over a few minutes later as one of his brakes caught fire and he was forced to pull into the pits and retire. After getting out of the car and removing his helmet, Verstappen was seen speaking animatedly to a mechanic and appeared to mouth the word: “Stupid.”

But, after the race, team principal Horner claimed his driver had actually been “very gracious” with his colleagues considering the situation. He said: “Obviously, a driver is going to be frustrated when he gets out of a car from a retirement.

“I think he’s been very gracious with the team and all of the mechanics. It hurts everybody in the same way. It’s a matter of learning from it. We’ve had two years with no mechanical DNFs which has been remarkable.

“Understanding the cause of the issue, learning from it, and moving forward is crucial.

Despite the setback of not finishing one race, he is still leading the championship after three races which is impressive.

There are many valuable lessons to be learned from today’s events. Verstappen explained that the brakes on one of the wheels were stuck after the formation lap, making the race start feel like “driving with the handbrake on.” He later spoke to journalists and was questioned about his discussion with his mechanic, recalling the details of their conversation.