Max Verstappen, representing the Red Bull Racing team, was unable to determine if their race-pace concerns had been resolved due to his retirement from the Australian Grand Prix. Despite their strong performance in the first races of the 2024 season, with Verstappen securing consecutive 1-2 finishes in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, the team appeared to be trailing behind Ferrari during practice at Albert Park. However, some minor adjustments to Verstappen’s RB20 resulted in him claiming pole position. Unfortunately, his hopes of securing a record-equalling 10th consecutive victory were dashed when a malfunctioning right-rear brake forced him to retire on Lap 4. In the meantime, Sergio Perez, who had been penalized with a three-place demotion for obstructing another driver, faced additional challenges when a piece of Fernando Alonso’s visor became lodged under his car’s floor. Red Bull team principal, Christian Horner, expressed optimism about the team’s performance in race conditions following the implemented fixes to address their issues. However, the retirement prevented them from obtaining the answers they sought. Horner acknowledged Ferrari’s impressive performance throughout the weekend and congratulated Carlos Sainz on his dominant victory, despite having undergone an appendix operation. The early exit from the race was undoubtedly frustrating for Max Verstappen and the team.
Perez argued that even if Verstappen had participated in the race, Ferrari would still have emerged victorious as their SF-24 car was superior.
Horner replied, “We can’t speculate on what could have happened. Verstappen mentioned that the car felt good during his laps to the grid and he quickly gained a second on the first lap against Carlos. However, the Ferraris were fast this weekend and they deserve their win. Carlos also drove exceptionally well.”
Horner also dismissed the notion that Red Bull had sacrificed long-term performance for a better qualifying position, considering concerns about tire degradation.
“I don’t believe so. We managed to identify some issues during qualifying, and it’s a shame we didn’t get to see how it would have played out. Carlos, in particular, was impressive during the middle stint. It’s all about maintaining good tire condition when you have an advantage like that.”
Ferrari’s 1-2 finish, combined with the fastest lap, earned them a maximum of 44 points, bringing them within four points of Red Bull, who gained 10 points through Perez’s fifth-place finish.
When asked if he saw the Constructors’ Championship as a battle between Red Bull and Ferrari, Horner responded, “Ferrari is a strong team with two talented drivers and a decent car. We had a tough day today, and they capitalized on it, so now everything is closer. However, there are still 21 races to go.”