Three-time world champion Max Verstappen said it felt like driving "with the handbrake on" after retiring from the Australian Grand Prix Sunday with smoke billowing from his Red Bull.

The Dutchman started from pole and was heavily favoured to win for a third time this season after emphatic victories in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

But it went horribly wrong almost immediately when he was passed by Ferrari's Carlos Sainz on lap two before his brakes seized up and his race was over.

"What we can see so far from the data is that as soon as the lights went off the right-rear brake just stuck on," he said.

"It just caused the damage and it kept on increasing so it was also basically driving with the handbrake on.

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