“I expect Max Verstappen to dominate again in Suzuka” - Red Bull chief not too worried about F1 champion’s DNF in Australia

Reigning F1 world champion Max Verstappen suffered from brake failure in the Australian GP and was forced to retire just three laps into the race. He hadn't experienced a DNF since his last race at the Albert Park circuit back in 2022.

Verstappen's early retirement and Sergio Perez's unimpressive P5 finish marked a disappointing weekend for the team. However, Red Bull motorsports advisor Helmut Marko is not concerned and suggested that the Dutchman would continue his dominance in the upcoming Japanese GP (April 5-7).

Marko also mentioned that the team still needs to look into the brake failure on Max Verstappen's RB20, hinting it might be specific to the track

"You don't have to ask me now if we can win all the races this year. That's over now. We have to find out why those 'bloody brakes' failed," Marko told de Telegraaf.

"Max [Verstappen] was confident. He even said he could have kept up with [Carlos] Sainz with those problems. That is positive. I think the problems are also purely to do with this circuit. It is nothing special. I expect Max to dominate again in Suzuka in a fortnight's time."

After missing out on victory at the 2023 Singapore GP, Verstappen bounced back at the Japanese GP, delivering a commanding performance and clinching the win with a 19-second lead over his nearest rival, Lando Norris.

Three races into the season, Max Verstappen is at the top of the points standings with 51 points. Charles Leclerc follows closely in second place, four points behind the leader, while Sergio Perez holds third position, trailing his teammate by five points.

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Christian Horner discusses Max Verstappen's brake failure

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner explained that Max Verstappen's RB20 suffered from brake issues right from the initial getaway. As the rear right brakes deteriorated, he veered off the racing line, with the brakes eventually catching fire and forcing him to retire.

"It's a brake issue and it looked like it was on since the start of the race which is why Max described it as like having a handbrake. That caused him to have a couple of moments as the heat was building and building and the result is a fire," Horner told Sky Sports.

Horner added that the team will analyze the root cause of the failure:

"We’ve got all the bits back now and we will go through the damage and understand exactly what's caused it."

The Brit also mentioned that Sergio Perez's car sustained floor damage while overtaking Fernando Alonso, which led to his pace deficit to the leaders.