Colapinto recalls 'dangerous' 200km/h near-miss with Lawson at Australian GP start

Alpine's Franco Colapinto narrowly avoided a high-speed collision at the start of the Australian Grand Prix, revealing he was already travelling over 200 km/h when he had to swerve around a slow-moving Liam Lawson. The incident has highlighted significant safety concerns surrounding the new 2026 power unit regulations, with multiple drivers warning that similar situations could lead to a major crash.

Why it matters:

The near-miss underscores a critical and potentially dangerous flaw in the current era of Formula 1. With the new 50/50 hybrid power units proving difficult to launch consistently, a car stalling or suffering a power loss on the grid creates an extreme speed differential. This poses one of the greatest risks on the track, as drivers approaching at full racing speed have minimal time to react, turning race starts into a high-stakes lottery.

The details:

• The incident occurred as the field accelerated away from the Albert Park grid. Liam Lawson's Racing Bulls car suffered a complete power loss, leaving him stationary while Colapinto, starting from P16, was building speed rapidly behind him.
• Colapinto described the moment as "sketchy" and "dangerous," noting the onboard footage revealed the situation was even closer than he realized in the car.
• Driver Reactions: The event has drawn strong comments from across the paddock.
  • Sergio Perez (Cadillac): Warned it is "just a matter of time before a massive shunt happens," citing the extreme speeds reached within seconds and the unpredictability of the new power unit starts.
  • Esteban Ocon (Alpine): Called it a "scary" situation and stated that a car stalling in front of another would be "one of the worst crashes you can have."
  • Lance Stroll (Aston Martin): Criticized the "over complicated" new regulations as the root cause of such problems.
• Root Cause: The issue stems from the 2026 power units, which feature a 50/50 split between electrical and combustion power but have removed the MGU-H. This component previously helped manage lower revs, and its absence has made achieving a consistent, reliable launch procedure exceptionally difficult for all teams.

What's next:

While drivers acknowledge that teams will naturally improve their start procedures over time, there is a unanimous call for immediate attention to mitigate the risk before a serious accident occurs.

• Colapinto expressed hope that systems and team procedures will evolve but stressed that at the moment, the situation remains "a little bit dangerous" and may require a "fix" to make drivers more prepared.
• The FIA's pre-warning blue light system, used in Melbourne, was deemed insufficient to prevent this type of incident, suggesting further regulatory or technical solutions may be needed.
• The consensus is clear: if these unpredictable start issues persist every weekend, a major collision is inevitable. The pressure is now on the FIA and the teams to find a solution to ensure safety during the most chaotic moment of a Grand Prix.