Max Verstappen has suggested Red Bull began to notice an issue with his car on Saturday at the Australian Grand Prix ahead of his early retirement in the race.
The Dutchman lasted just a handful of laps in his RB20 before a terminal brake issue forced him to return to the pit lane.
Verstappen secured pole position for the race ahead of Carlos Sainz but was overtaken on the second lap before smoke started emitting from his right rear brake that eventually caught fire.
The non-finish marked Verstappen’s first in F1 since he retired from the 2022 edition of the race around the Albert Park Circuit.
The first warning signs, however, were noticed by Red Bull the day before the race in Melbourne.
“I think we saw already some signs on Saturday, where things were maybe not looking like they should have done,” Verstappen told media including RacingNews365.
“Now in hindsight, you can say that it was coming from the brake caliper but we couldn't find any fault with the car.”
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No repeat expected
Despite his DNF, Verstappen remains at the helm of the championship standings after winning the opening two races going into this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka.
Verstappen, who leads Ferrari's Charles Leclerc by four points, is adamant he has no concerns over a repeat of the issue.
“It’s always bad to retire of course,” he added. “But when you have a fault in maybe the build spec or whatever, then it's a bit worse.
“We'll just move on from there and learn from it, that it doesn't happen again. But normally, it shouldn’t.”
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