Max Verstappen crashed heavily into the barriers during the final segment of qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring on Saturday, June 27, 2026.
The incident forced him to settle for fifth place on Sunday's starting grid behind George Russell, Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton, and Kimi Antonelli.
>>> Calgary Flames Draft Joe Iginla in Third Round of 2026 NHL Draft
Verstappen Unable to Explain Loss of Control
The accident occurred at the high-speed Turn 9 as Verstappen was pushing the upgraded Red Bull RB22. He was left unable to explain the sudden loss of control.
“It was all good. It’s just always awkward to crash sideways.
It’s never the nicest way of crashing in an F1 car,” said Verstappen when asked about his physical condition after the impact.
The Dutch driver indicated that his initial sectors were competitive. However, he noted that matching the final sector performance of the Mercedes cars was a difficult task.
“The first two sectors were quite okay, but I knew that in the last sector Mercedes were very fast, and probably hard to replicate what they were doing there,” continued Verstappen.
Verstappen further elaborated on the behavior of his car.
He noted that unusual handling issues had emerged earlier in the lap before the definitive incident at Turn 9.
“I knew for myself there was margin still.
I think even if we would have been P3, that would have been a very nice result for us.
