Max Verstappen said a “weird” braking failure caused his dramatic exit from the first session of qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix after the four-time world champion lost control and crashed his Red Bull Racing car into the barriers.

The Dutchman skidded off at Turn 1 of the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne, slamming into the wall after losing grip under braking. Verstappen emerged from the incident unharmed but failed to record a lap time during the session.

“The car just… locked down the rear axles. Fantastic,” he said over team radio moments after the crash.

Speaking later, Verstappen admitted he had not yet reviewed the data with his team but was puzzled by what had happened.

“I didn’t speak to the team yet or look into any data, but to lose a car like that on the braking, I’ve never experienced that in my life,” he said.

“I hit the pedal and suddenly the whole rear axle just completely locked up. So, definitely a bit weird.”

With Verstappen out early, George Russell secured pole position for Mercedes ahead of teammate Kimi Antonelli, locking out the front row for the Silver Arrows.

Formula One’s new engine regulations have presented a steep learning curve for drivers this season. Verstappen had been openly critical of the changes during the off-season, describing the new era as “anti-racing”.

The crash leaves Verstappen facing a difficult race on Sunday. Depending on the extent of the damage to his car, he is expected to start from the back of the grid or possibly from the pit lane.

Despite the setback, the reigning champion hopes the race’s longer runs could still offer opportunities.

“There’s so many unknowns at the moment that we still need to get on top of,” he said.

“Yeah, we’ll see tomorrow what we can do.”

In Verstappen’s absence, teammate Isack Hadjar delivered an impressive performance to qualify third.

Being Verstappen’s teammate at Red Bull has proved challenging in recent seasons, with drivers such as Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda both moving on last year.

However, the 21-year-old Frenchman remained composed during qualifying and said Verstappen’s crash did not add extra pressure.

“I might be P3, but if Max was actually running the whole session then I don’t know if I would be here,” Hadjar admitted.

“So that’s a shame. I want to compare myself with the best and today that didn’t happen, so we’ll do that next time in China.”

Hadjar’s best lap was nearly eight-tenths of a second slower than Russell’s pole time, and he conceded Red Bull currently lacks the pace to challenge for victory in Melbourne.

“No,” he said bluntly when asked if they could win.

“And I think after turn one, if we keep our position then we have a good race, I think. But yeah, we simply don’t have the pace to win.”