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Max Verstappen is at a loss as to why four DRS zones became three in Australia, but Lewis Hamilton backed the decision.

It marked a new record in Formula 1 when four DRS zones were announced for the series’ return to the revamped Albert Park, but on the Saturday morning, it was confirmed that the zone coming out of Turn 8, running down to Turn 9, had been dropped on safety grounds.

According to Sky Sports F1 pundit Karun Chandhok, it was Alpine’s Fernando Alonso who led the push for the decision in the drivers’ briefing, that claim coming from information that he had received from a team boss.

He added that several team managers were not happy with the timing of the decision, which arrived 20 minutes before FP3, while Verstappen can be added to those who are disgruntled about the removal of that DRS zone.

He does not understand the claim that this was done in the name of safety, saying it was safer than the DRS zones at the previous round in Saudi Arabia.

“With taking away one DRS zone, it’s going to be harder,” he told reporters in a press conference.

“I don’t really understand why they took it away, because it was much safer than what we do in Jeddah, for example.

“So, it’s a bit of a mystery to me why that happened. But yeah, we’ll give it our best.

“I