Sainz leads Ferrari 1-2 in Australia GP

Verstappen started on pole for the third time this season but retired on the fourth lap with a brake problem as flames leaped out of the right rear of his car.

It was his first DNF since retiring from Albert Park in the 2022 race and ended his run of nine successive race wins.

The 26-year-old said he was basically driving with the handbrake on from the start.

“That’s why already it felt the car was really weird to drive in some corners. It was just very snappy,” he added.

Red Bull have now suffered two defeats in 26 races dating back to the last round of 2022.

Seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton was also forced to retire early with a power unit problem after starting 11th on the grid following his worst Melbourne qualifying since 2010.

His team mate Russell completed a dismal day for the Silver Arrows by skidding into gravel at turn six and crashing into the barrier to wreck his car and bring out the virtual safety car.

Stewards said Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso played a part in Russell’s crash by slowing quickly as Russell was close behind.

Alonso, who finished sixth, was given a 20-second penalty which demoted him to eighth and was also handed three penalty points.

That lifted team mate Lance Stroll to sixth and Yuki Tsunoda to seventh, the Japanese driver delivering RB their first points of the season.

Ninth-placed Nico Hulkenberg and Haas team mate Kevin Magnussen rounded out the top 10.

Williams had only one driver in the race, with Alex Albon finishing 11th and out of the points in his team mate Logan Sargeant’s car, the American ordered to make way after Albon wrecked his own car in Friday practice.