Max Verstappen had been leading the world championship since the inception of the current ground effect era in 2022.

Max Verstappen has admitted that Red Bull's grip issues will be "hard to fix" at the Australian Grand Prix as the reigning four-time world champion prepares for a difficult opening weekend of the season.

When asked during the post-race press conference whether the session should have been red flagged, Verstappen did not see any issue with the FIA's decision. The Red Bull star even took his answer a step further, and suggested a driver would have to be 'stupid' to crash in such a way.