The four-time world champion ran wide at Turn 10 during the second practice session at the fast and unforgiving Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit on Friday.
Verstappen’s car slid into the gravel trap at speed, bouncing through the stones before he regained control and returned to the circuit.
While the Dutch driver avoided a major crash, the excursion caused visible damage. The gravel tore into the underside of the car, shredding sections of the floor and sending fragments of carbon fibre flying behind him.
Red Bull’s chief engineer Paul Monaghan confirmed that the team faced a significant repair task overnight, although the damage was not severe enough to threaten Verstappen’s participation.
“I’ll say there’s enough to keep us busy,” Monaghan explained after the session. “It’s recoverable. It’s nothing that drastic, but it was a bit of a thump, so we’ll tidy it up and go again.”
Despite the moment, Verstappen still managed to complete his programme and finished sixth fastest in the session. His best lap of 1 minute 20.366 seconds left him 0.637 seconds off the pace.
The benchmark time came from home favourite Oscar Piastri, who delivered an impressive lap of 1 minute 19.729 seconds for McLaren. The Australian was one of only two drivers to break the 80-second barrier, finishing 0.214 seconds clear of rookie Kimi Antonelli in the Mercedes.
Although the gravel incident disrupted Verstappen’s running, Monaghan remained encouraged by Red Bull’s overall performance during the opening day of the new season.
The team entered 2026 facing one of the biggest technical transitions in its history, running its own power unit for the first time under Formula 1’s new regulations. For Monaghan, the early signs were positive.
“Fantastic,” he said. “Brand new engine, our own, new car, new rules, and both cars went out of the pit lane at the start of first practice. Both were competitive straight away.”
Monaghan also spoke about Verstappen’s new team-mate Isack Hadjar, who continued adapting to life at the front of the grid.
“Isack is getting his head around it,” Monaghan said. “He’s quite forthright and knows what he seems to want from the car. Max is typically driven – he’s a competitive soul.”
He added that the RB’s balance looked promising, although a few issues during second practice limited the team’s ability to complete longer runs.
“Our main objective tomorrow is to understand how we get consistent laps out of the car,” Monaghan explained. “Whether it’s qualifying or race conditions, we need to learn how to repeat that performance and know we’ll get it right.”
The 2026 Formula 1 season officially begins with the Australian Grand Prix race on 8 March at Albert Park.
