Max Verstappen "would have retired anyway" if not for lap one crash

Tuscan Grand Prix

Verstappen "would have retired anyway" if not for lap one crash

Verstappen had engine issues at the Tuscan Grand Prix

Nicolas Quarles van Ufford

Sunday 13 September 2020 15:52 Updated: 16:12

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Max Verstappen revealed he would have retired from the Tuscan Grand Prix even if he had not crashed on the first lap.

The Dutchman's Red Bull sustained a software issue with the power unit 20 minutes before the start, and although seemingly rectified, he plummeted down through the pack to 13th from third on the grid when he was involved in an accident.

The knock-on effect of a collision between Kimi Raikkonen, Romain Grosjean and Pierre Gasly resulted in the Finn ramming the back of Verstappen's RB16, leaving him beached in the gravel trap and forcing him to retire for the second week running.

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Verstappen, though, was unruffled by his exit on the first lap for the fourth time in his career as he said: "That doesn’t matter when you get in a situation like that.

"I would’ve probably retired anyway so it is what it is."

Verstappen then explained the engine issue was similar to the one that forced him to retire from last week's Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

"Already on the formation lap, the engine stalled," he continued. "Probably the same problem as in Monza, I guess, because it felt similar.

"I had a good launch, I went around Lewis, and then it didn’t accelerate and I lost a lot of speed."

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