Max Verstappen fined as Red Bull suffer setback ahead of Australian Grand Prix

Red Bull star Max Verstappen has been handed a £616 (€700) fine after breaking the rules in FP1 at the Australian Grand Prix on Friday, with the Dutchman exceeding the pit lane speed limit as he was penalised by race stewards.

However, Red Bull have been able to avoid a sporting penalty despite the FIA reporting that the 25-year-old’s car was clocked going at just 6.4km/h over the 80km/h limit. As a result, Verstappen will not face a grid drop.

The FIA’s decision document reads: “Car 1 exceeded the pit lane speed limit which is set at 80 km/h for this event by 6.4 km/h.

"Competitors are reminded that they have the right to appeal certain decisions of the stewards, in accordance with Article 15 of the FIA International Sporting Code and Chapter 4 of the FIA Judicial and Disciplinary Rules, within the applicable time limits.”

The reigning champion topped the timesheets in FP1 ahead of taking to the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne on Sunday but suffered an error rarely expected of the Red Bull ace.

What will also be a concern for Red Bull fans is that the Dutchman reported gear shift issues, not for the first time this season having suffered similar issues in Saudi Arabia, moaning at engineers: “Shifts are terrible, up and down shifts.”

Speaking ahead of Sunday’s race in Melbourne, Verstappen admitted that he felt Red Bull still have plenty of work to do, explaining: “I mean, to be honest, it was not even so much about the car, it was just very low grip out there. The tarmac seems to be really slippery, already last year, and it’s quite tough to switch on the tyres.

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“I think it was alright. It’s a bit difficult to tell. I think we never really got into a window where I felt like we were on top of the tyres, so that’s a bit of studying to do for tonight, but it should be okay.”

Teammate Sergio Perez also highlighted the fact that the team were not confident going into qualifying and Sunday's race due to a lack of running.

He stated: "It was just a mess, I couldn’t get a lap in in the afternoon. We made some changes which seemed to be working well into Sector 1, Sector 2, but not much to say really.

“I think tomorrow there’s plenty to do, too much to do in FP3, so I think we’re going to be somehow going a bit blind into the race, which should be interesting.”