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Max Verstappen has questioned the need of the second red flag during the 2023 Australian GP on Sunday.
The race in Albert Park was a rare sight where chaos was the order of the day. Uncharacteristic crashes from Alex Albon and Kevin Magnussen left debris on the track and caused damage to the barriers. To repair that damage, a red flag was put in place early in the race.
Towards the end of the race, Kevin Magnussen's crash brought out a safety car. With only a handful of laps left and with the possibility that the race could end under the safety car, a red flag was brought out for the drivers to have a 2-lap dash. The red flag restart caused a huge ruckus with multiple crashes and impacts.
After the race, many drivers were upset at what happened, including Max Verstappen. The Dutchman reckons the first red flag made sense but questioned the need for the second. During the race interview in Parc Ferme, Verstappen said:
"We had a very poor start, and lap one, I was careful because I had a lot to lose, and they had a lot to win. After that, the pace of the car was quick - you could see that straight away. We were always there, waiting for the DRS for the chance to pass. But with these red flags, I don't know."
He added:
"The first one, maybe you can do it, but the second one, I don't understand. So, it was a bit of a mess, but we survived everything, and we won, which, of course, is the most important thing.
Max Verstappen gives his view on Lewis Hamilton complaint
Max Verstappen gave his take on the Lewis Hamilton complaint early in the race where the Mercedes driver had pushed him off the track.
When Hamilton did that, Verstappen radioed that he was pushed off the track. No action was taken about but when asked what happened, the two-time world champion said:
"From my side, I just tried to avoid contact. It's quite clear in the rules what you're allowed to do on the outside, but clearly it's not followed. It's okay; we had good pace and we passed them anyway, but it's something for the next race to take into account. It's great to win here - my first first win; it's been a while for the team as well, so very very happy."
Max Verstappen has now extended his lead atop the championship with his second win of the season, leading second-placed Sergio Perez (54) by 15 points.
