Max Verstappen says an engine problem was responsible for his early retirement from the Monaco Grand Prix after his race ended on the opening lap.
The Red Bull driver, who started alongside pole-sitter Kimi Antonelli, suffered issues during the formation lap before his car lost power shortly after the start.
“The formation lap wasn’t going very well and the pre-start procedure was terrible,” Verstappen said. “The engine just dropped dead.”
Although he briefly regained some power, Verstappen returned to the pits and retired from the race.
The Dutchman described the setback as disappointing after a strong qualifying performance, but said the next round in Spain would provide a better indication of Red Bull’s progress.
“It’s a completely different track and will be a good test to see whether we’ve really taken a step forward,” he added.
