Franco Colapinto is relieved that he managed to avoid a heavy crash at the start of the Australian GP. The Alpine driver had to swerve rapidly when he encountered a slow Liam Lawson just after the lights went out. Colapinto managed to steer his Alpine past the Racing Bulls in the nick of time. Footage of his quick reactions raises questions about the safety of starts under the new F1 regulations.
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The near-crash was barely noticed during the race broadcast but later went viral on social media. According to Colapinto, the moment was particularly risky. “At the start, we almost had a huge collision with Liam because he got stuck on the starting grid,” he reacted to the media in Melbourne. “I was really incredibly lucky to get through the first lap safe and sound. This is the risk of these new cars; it was just very dangerous, so I’m glad I made it through in one piece.”
Dangerous starts
Lawson himself was in the dark regarding his slow start. “To be honest, I have no idea what happened,” he responded when asked. “I started, didn’t move forward, and lost all power. A few seconds later I started moving again, but then I got wheelspin. I don’t know what happened, we haven’t had this during testing.” The incident once again raised questions about the safety of the starts. Due to the adjusted regulations, engines must run at high revs for longer to prevent ’turbo lag’. While blue lights indicate when the starting procedure begins, drivers still cannot estimate when the lights will actually go out. With incorrect timing and thus a lack of power, this can lead to dangerous situations.
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For Colapinto, the race ultimately ended on a low note. The Argentine crossed the line in fourteenth after receiving a ten-second stop-and-go penalty. The penalty followed because Alpine mechanics were still working on his car too close to the start of the formation lap. “It was a procedural error,” explained team principal Steve Nielsen out.
We all had the same response to Franco’s impressive reactions at the start! 🤯 #F1 #AusGP pic.twitter.com/PvSfBv7HDe
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— Formula 1 (@F1) March 8, 2026
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