Max Verstappen will start the Australian Grand Prix from 20th place after a qualifying crash triggered a red flag during the opening Q1 segment.
The four-time world champion lost control of his Red Bull under braking for turn one, sliding through the gravel trap before hitting the barriers.
READ MORE: George Russell leads Mercedes front-row lockout in Australian GP qualifying
The incident brought out the red flag just seven minutes into Q1 during Saturday’s qualifying session.
Verstappen was seen inspecting his hands after climbing out of the car following the crash.
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The Dutch driver later confirmed he underwent precautionary X-rays on his hands.
“All good. I just had to get some X-rays done to see if my hands were OK, but nothing was broken,” Verstappen told Sky Sports.
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The 28-year-old explained the unusual nature of the incident after the session.
“To lose the 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.”
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The qualifying exit marked Verstappen’s eighth Q1 elimination since he entered Formula 1 in 2015 with Toro Rosso.
Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix will therefore see the Red Bull driver start from the back of the grid.
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