F1 News: Verstappen DNF in Australia leads to EXTREME fan response

Max Verstappen looks stunned by a question during a press conference — Photo: © IMAGO

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Verstappen DNF in Australia leads to EXTREME fan response

Some people got a little bit carried away after the Red Bull driver's Albert Park nightmare.

Originally written by Cal Gaunt. This version is a translation.

Friday 29 March 2024 21:00

Max Verstappen experienced a rare podium absence at the Australian Grand Prix, finding himself without a trophy to take home for the first time in what feels like forever.

However, amidst his disappointment, one F1 enthusiast celebrated the Dutchman's misfortune in the most unusual of ways.

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The three-time world champion was forced to retire early in the race due to a mechanical failure in his right rear brake. The issue culminated in a dramatic fire as Verstappen navigated towards the pits.

This was the first instance since the same race two years ago that Verstappen had failed to complete a race, underlining the remarkable dominance exhibited by both driver and his Red Bull team in the sport over the past couple of seasons.

Max Verstappen saw his right rear brake set alight which forced him to retire from the Australian GP

Verstappen's DNF was cause to celebrate for some F1 fans

Verstappen failure marked with permanent reminder

On X (formerly Twitter), someone posted an image pulled from a public F1 group on Facebook - in which the original poster revealed his new tattoo, saying: "Only way to leave Australia after the race."

"Max DNF," the tattoo read, below an inking of an F1 car with a kangaroo inside it.

And it wasn't long before the F1 community jumped in to offer their take on the bizarre celebration of Verstappen's downfall.

"I LOWKEY WANT IT," wrote one fan, while another said: "This SCREAMS fan behaviour lmfao."

"I mean seriously, just because the guy DNF's for the first time in 43 races, doesn't mean you need to celebrate with a tattoo!" said another.

"Everyone in the grandstand cheered when Max retired, even myself, but I kinda felt a little bad afterwards."