Frightening F1 start incident involving Colapinto and Lawson went unseen on broadcast

Williams driver Franco Colapinto has revealed a "very dangerous" near-miss at the start of the Australian Grand Prix, an incident that was not captured in the race's television broadcast. Colapinto had to take sudden evasive action to avoid a collision with the slow-starting Racing Bulls car of Liam Lawson, who was unsighted in the pack. The Argentine driver, who later finished 14th, described himself as "really lucky" to have avoided a major crash on the opening lap.

Why it matters:

The incident highlights potential safety concerns with the new starting procedures introduced for the 2024 season and underscores how critical moments can be missed by the main broadcast. Near-misses at the start, where cars are bunched together at low speed, can easily escalate into multi-car pileups, making this a significant close call that warrants scrutiny from the FIA.

The details:

• The frightening moment occurred as the lights went out. Liam Lawson's Racing Bulls car had a poor start, remaining almost stationary while the pack accelerated around him.
• Franco Colapinto, starting directly behind Lawson, was unsighted by other cars and only saw the stationary VCARB at the last possible moment.
• Colapinto was forced to swerve sharply to the right to avoid a high-speed rear-impact collision, a move he confirmed involved lightly brushing the wall with his rear-right tire.
• The incident was not shown in any official race replays or highlight packages, only coming to light through onboard footage shared later on social media.
• This season's new starting procedure includes a dedicated five-second period for drivers to spool their turbos before the formation lap. However, drivers like Ferrari's Charles Leclerc have noted the lights now go out "almost instantly" once illuminated, a change some have labeled "cheeky" and potentially catch-out drivers.

What's next:

While Colapinto escaped without major damage, the incident will likely be reviewed by the FIA as part of their standard post-race analysis.

• The unseen near-miss raises questions about broadcast coverage and whether all potential safety moments are being monitored.
• Drivers may provide further feedback on the new starting light sequence, which is intended to add consistency but may have unintended consequences if a car fails to launch.
• For Colapinto, the race remained a tough afternoon, as he later served a stop/go penalty for a team member touching his car after the 15-second signal and struggled with pace, finishing just behind Lawson in 14th and 13th respectively.