Kevin Magnussen and Daniil Kvyat have retired from the Australian Grand Prix, bringing the number of withdrawals before the race to three.
Magnussen’s McLaren struck mechanical troubles early when smoke poured from the rear of his vehicle on the reconnaissance lap at Albert Park in Melbourne.
And Kvyat, the teammate of Australian Daniel Ricciardo, was forced out of his Red Bull Racing car on the lap with undisclosed mechanical failure.
Both drivers won’t contest Sunday’s season opener, joining Williams driver Valtteri Bottas on the sidelines.
Bottas qualified sixth fastest but has been ruled out the race by lower-back pain.
The withdrawals reduce the field to 15 cars, with Ricciardo rising one spot to start from sixth position on the grid.