According to major media, Max Verstappen and Lando Norris criticized the new Formula 1 cars after struggling at the season-opening qualifying in Australia. Verstappen crashed out at the start of his first lap in Q1 due to a 'weird' rear-axle failure on his Red Bull car, and he will start from 20th on the grid in the Australian Grand Prix. Norris qualified sixth on the grid, behind his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri.
Mercedes locked out the front row with George Russell on pole alongside Kimi Antonelli. Qualifying was marred by various issues with a number of cars, and the new energy deployment aspect irritated many drivers. Drivers are forced to downshift at the end of straights as they max out on power, instead of simply accelerating further.
Verstappen said, 'I’m definitely not having fun, at all, with these cars. ' He added, 'The formula is just not correct, and that is something that is a bit harder to change. ' Verstappen told Dutch media, 'I’m not enjoying it at all.
Emotionally and feeling-wise, I’m completely drained. ' Norris said, 'Not very good, not very nice. ' He stated, 'Just inconsistent.
It’s just tricky, I’ve been a bit on the back foot, a lot of issues on the car. ' Norris also branded Russell a 'sneaky' competitor who cultivates a carefully crafted image, and he suggested Russell presents a calculated front to the paddock and public alike. The Australian Grand Prix starts at 4am (GMT) on Sunday morning.
How the car issues and driver frustrations will affect the race outcome remains uncertain, and the basis for Norris's characterization of Russell as 'sneaky' is unclear.