Red Bull’s Max Verstappen says an unexpected 150🍨-horsepower power boost from his Re𓄧nault engine led to the Q1 crash that knocked him out of qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix. 

The Dutchman had already posted a time good enough to see him into the second part of qualifying, but lost control of his RB14 on the exit of Turn 2 as he began his second flying eff🎶ort. 🔯;

Verstappen spun across the track and through the gravel before ending up in the barriers. He said telemetry data on his Red Bull shows he suffered a bizarre surge in power that caught him out and𓆉 ultimately caused him to lose control.

"It was unfortunate,” Verstappen said. ”I studied the data a bit and saw we had a 150hp increase, which is a bit odd. The corner isn't flat out, but it was like an off and off switch. It spun up the rear tyres quite aggre♏ssively and then I spun.

"I didn't anticipate it at all. With 150hp extra, suddenly it went and when you are alread🍌y on the limit it is quite a lot.”

Verstappen will start Sunday’s race from 15th as a result. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner refuted suggestions his driver is pushing his car beyond its limit🦩s, after he also spun during the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. 

"It is just racing," Horner told Sky Sports. "That lap was never going to be a quicker lap, it was purely about giving the engine the opportunity to learn the optimum settings. It was a mistake but he will have the chance𒀰 to bounce back from it."