Verstappen Doesn't Care About Winning Streak That He Lost: 'Doesn't Really Matter'
F1Tuesday, 26 March 2024 at 07:30
Max Verstappen could have won his tenth race in a row during the last weekend in Australia but didn't due to technical issues. However, the Dutchman isn't bothered.
The triple World Champion had everything perfectly set up for another flawless victory during the 2024 Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park Circuit as he started the race from the pole.
But for the first time in two years, the 26-year-old didn't finish a race due to technical issues. It was Verstappen's first retirement since the 2022 Australian Grand Prix.
Amazingly, even though he retired, he still leads in the Drivers' Championship by four points and is aiming to bounce back in Japan during the fourth race of the season. He told the media:
"It excites me, in a way, because I would like to win. Of course, we had a lot of good races in a row, a lot of good reliability, and I knew that the day would come that you end up having a retirement, and, unfortunately, that day was today."
Verstappen wasn't the only one who struggled in Australia. His rival from 2021, Lewis Hamilton, also suffered issues with his power unit and had to retire.
The Red Bull driver enjoyed perfect reliability for 43 races in a row before this problem, and he highlighted that he thought that was already quite impressive.
"We just had already a very good run of two years, right? I mean, that's already quite impressive. But of course, you never like to see it happen. But it's more important now that we understand why it happened."
By losing the third race of the 2024 season, the 26-year-old lost his winning streak of nine races in a row. If he had won in Australia, he could have extended his record (set in the previous year) already in Japan. However, the Flying Dutchman added he wasn't too concerned:
"I just want to win and if it's a win, second, win, second, or 11 in a row, whatever for me, that doesn't really matter. As long we win the championship, that's the most important."
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