Red Bull vulnerable, Merc on the pounce: 3 talking points ahead of the Australian GP

While Max Verstappen secured pole position for the 2023 Australian Grand Prix, it can't be denied that it was not a smooth session for the Red Bull driver.

We discuss this and more.

1 Red Bull's reliability

The last race out in Saudi Arabia, Verstappen's race got turned upside down when a technical issue forced him out of qualifying and having to start the race down in 15th. This weekend, both he and his teammate Sergio Perez dealt with issues.

The defending champion struggled with the shifts on his gearbox, while Perez had to contend with brake issues. These issues limited his running in Third Practice, while in qualifying, it brought his session to an early halt.

"I hope we are able to fix the technical issue for [the race]; otherwise it will be really hard to race like this," Perez said.

"We are confident that together as a team, we will be able to sort it out because it's very important that we do so.

Perez will start the race down in 20th.

If the issues continue into the race, one or both of the Red Bull drivers could be at risk of not finishing the race, opening the door for a rival team to (possibly!) secure the win.

Rewind to Q1, and a dramatic early exit for Sergio Perez ??#AusGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/HlRB2QxQEg

2 Mercedes ready to pounce

George Russell and Lewis Hamilton have turned a new performance leave in Australia, qualifying second and third behind Verstappen. It was a positive showing from the two Mercedes-AMG drivers, with Russell admitting that the car felt hooked up and that it's hard to accept that they are not starting from the front.

"What a session for us. The car felt alive, and to be honest, I'm disappointed I didn't get pole as the car felt awesome," Russell said.

"We are learning more and more about the