McLaren's Stella urges more F1 action after Australian GP start scare

McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella has called on Formula 1 to take further action to improve safety after a near-miss at the start of the Australian Grand Prix highlighted ongoing concerns with the 2026 car start procedure. Stella emphasized that the series cannot rely on luck after Alpine's Franco Colapinto narrowly avoided a high-speed collision with a slow-starting Liam Lawson, citing unpredictable speed differentials as a critical risk.

Why it matters:

The chaotic start in Melbourne served as a stark warning for a safety issue that teams and drivers have debated for months. With the new 2026 power unit regulations making a strong launch dependent on complex turbocharger spooling, the extended pre-start procedure is creating dangerous situations. Stella's public appeal adds significant weight to the call for a technical review, stressing that proactive measures are essential before a serious accident occurs.

The details:

• The incident occurred when Lawson's car had a poor getaway, creating a massive speed difference with Colapinto, who had to swerve dramatically to avoid a crash.
• Stella stated the "concern remains" and that the race was "a bit of a near-miss," arguing the sport must act to reduce the speed differential on the grid.
• He also backed driver Lando Norris's concerns over unpredictable closing speeds on straights, a phenomenon known as "super clipping," where cars harvest energy at full throttle and suddenly lose deployment.
  • This was notably visible on the long run between Turns 8 and 9 at Albert Park, creating hazardous overtaking conditions, especially on the first lap.
• While the energy deployment strategies led to exciting early-race battles, like between George Russell and Charles Leclerc, Stella views this as an early "artefact" of teams learning the new systems.
• He predicts overtaking will become more difficult once teams converge on optimal deployment strategies, underscoring the need for continuous review of the racing product.

What's next:

Stella's comments will likely intensify discussions within the FIA and among teams to refine the start procedure and energy deployment rules. The focus will be on finding technical solutions that maintain competitive starts while eliminating the extreme speed variances that compromise driver safety. As teams gather more data from the opening races, expect formal proposals to be tabled to address these identified risks before the 2026 season develops further.