Verstappen’s Austrian GP Nightmare Ends in Dramatic Opening Lap Crash
Wow, what an unbelievable turn of events at the Austrian Grand Prix! If you blinked, you might’ve missed it—Max Verstappen, the four-time world champion and one of the most consistent drivers on the grid, was taken out in a shocking crash on the very first lap of the race. And not by a rival gunning for the title, but by young Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli.
It all happened at Turn 3. The race had barely gotten underway when Antonelli, perhaps a little too eager and definitely too fast, locked up his brakes heading into the corner. Before anyone could react, he slammed into the back of Verstappen’s Red Bull. The impact was heavy. Verstappen's car was instantly crippled and he was forced to retire on the spot. Just like that, it was over.
You could feel the disbelief not just in the Red Bull garage, but across the entire paddock. This was Verstappen’s first DNF of the season—his last non-finish was back in Australia in 2024 due to a brake failure. He’s been virtually untouchable since then, stringing together 31 consecutive point finishes. And to have that streak end at the Red Bull Ring, his team’s home circuit, made it sting even more.
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What’s more, the crash threw a massive curveball into the race and the championship picture. With Max out, the door swung wide open for McLaren. Lando Norris started from pole and held off his teammate Oscar Piastri early on, with both McLaren drivers running incredibly strong. You could almost sense the confidence shift as the drama unfolded.
And let’s not forget Carlos Sainz’s fire scare before the race even began! His brakes literally caught fire in the pit lane—flames, smoke, chaos. He didn’t even make it to the start line. That set the tone for what turned out to be one of the wildest opening halves of any Grand Prix this season.
But back to Verstappen. The way he trudged back to the paddock said it all—no theatrics, just raw frustration. You could hear it in his brief team radio response too, just a four-letter word summing up the entire moment. The championship may still be alive for him, but today was a big hit, both emotionally and strategically.
Antonelli did hold his hand up after the incident, admitting fault, saying his brakes locked and he couldn’t stop in time. It’s part of racing, yes—but for Verstappen, that’s little consolation.
This is Formula 1, though. One race can flip the script. And today, in front of his home crowd, Verstappen’s script was torn to pieces before the first lap was even complete.
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