Verstappen put in an impressive performance at the Saudi Grand Prix in Jeddah two weeks ago, passing driver following driver to finish second behind Mexican team mate Sergio Peris.
But following dominating practice, the Dutchman complained when a crankshaft problem forced him to start from 15th.
Aware that an engine fire doomed his hopes in Melbourne last year, the 25-year-old is eager to race without problems this weekend.
He said before the third round of the season at the Albert Park circuit regarding his finishing second in Jeddah behind his colleague, “I compensated and analyzed second, and this is a good thing, and in general there is satisfaction among the team, but personally I am not happy, because I am not here to come second.”
“It’s not just regarding the speed of the car, we have to make sure we are reliable without problems.”
Verstappen added, “When you are fighting for a championship, and when it comes to, you know, only two cars, we have to make sure that both cars are reliable.”
On the other hand, “Chico” Perez achieved a deserved victory in Saudi Arabia, translating his start from the lead to achieve his first victory this season and the fifth in his career.
His British team manager, Christian Horner, described what his driver gave as the best performance of the Mexican, who seeks to tighten the screws on his colleague in Australia, as Verstappen leads with 44 points, one point behind Pires.
“I don’t know if it was my best weekend with the team, but I’m sure Melbourne will be better,” said Pires.
“Right now, I feel comfortable in the car,” he continued.
And with Red Bull dominating the first and second places in the first two rounds, the Austrian team can benefit from the inclusion of a fourth DRS zone in Melbourne, one of the fastest tracks on the calendar.
The system allows drivers to gain an advantage in maneuvering and to enhance overtaking. It consists of a movable wing at the rear of the car, and when the driver is less than a second away from the car in front of him, he can activate the “DRS” by pressing a button on the steering wheel, which causes the rear spoiler to open and the car to accelerate.
Need help
Sunday’s battle may be limited to the two Red Bull chasseurs, led by the veteran Spaniard Fernando Alonso, benefiting from the development of the Aston Martin car.
Alonso (41 years), who was crowned in Australia 17 years ago behind the wheel of Renault, finished third in Jeddah to climb for the hundredth time on the podium, and he is the sixth driver in history to achieve this achievement.
The “Matador” started from second place and led for a short time, before the Red Bull car pounced on him, realizing that he needed mistakes from Verstappen and Pires in order to dream of being crowned for the first time in a decade.
“We need to help them, and this can happen when they fail to finish first and second,” said the double world champion with Renault in 2005 and 2006.
Alonso believes his car was better in Jeddah than the first race at the Bahrain circuit.
Last year, the son of the Principality of Monaco, Charles Leclerc, led Ferrari throughout the race on his way to victory, but the “running horse” season seems to falter in terms of energy and reliability.
Leclerc settled seventh in Jeddah, which puts his team in front of many challenges.
On the other hand, Mercedes, which was crowned 8 times in a row in the constructors’ championship before Red Bull dethroned it last season, is looking to benefit from the positives of the last race when Britain’s George Russell finished fourth and his seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton fifth.
“I think our performance has improved compared to Bahrain, and this is encouraging,” said Austrian team manager Toto Wolff.
He continued, “This confirms that the development path is in the right direction.”
About 42,000 spectators gathered in the Albert Park stands last year (a record), and the organizers expect more this week in one of the most popular arenas on the calendar.
Many will be cheering Oscar Piastre, who is making his home debut behind the wheel of a McLaren, trying to improve his 15th place in Saudi Arabia following failing to finish in Bahrain.
