Liam Lawson's Red Bull debut proved a difficult weekend for the Kiwi, ending in the wall as he crashed out of the Australian Grand Prix

After struggling with setup issues through Australian Grand Prix practice, Max Verstappen was surprised by his Red Bull car's performance on Saturday as the Formula 1 defending champion took third place in qualifying for the season-opening race.

It was a mixed bag of a curtain raiser for Red Bull Racing as Max Verstappen just missed out on victory in the Australian Grand Prix, while debutant Liam Lawson crashed out. Reigning world champion Verstappen was trapped between McLaren duo Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri for much of the opening stint in wet conditions in Melbourne,

Liam Lawson faced a tense wait to see if he could take part in his first qualifying session as a Red Bull Racing F1 driver, as technical issues hit his RB21. A power unit issue hit Lawson’s car ahead of qualifying at the Australian Grand Prix.

Elevated into the lead when McLaren’s “panic” had both drivers pitting, Max Verstappen says Red Bull had to “gamble” as it was their best chance to win the Australian Grand Prix. Lining up on a sodden Albert Park grid in third place behind an all-McLaren front row,