Formula 1, Sportrik Media - Liam Lawson admitted he still does not know what caused the alarming start issue he experienced at the 2026 Australian Grand Prix in Albert Park. The Visa Cash App Racing Bulls driver revealed that his car suddenly lost all power as the race began.
Lawson had qualified in eighth position after a strong performance on Saturday, placing both Racing Bulls cars in competitive positions on the grid. However, when the lights went out, his car barely moved off the line, leaving him at serious risk of being struck by faster cars approaching from behind.
A major collision was narrowly avoided thanks to the quick reactions of Franco Colapinto from Alpine, who managed to steer clear of Lawson’s nearly stationary car. The situation developed after Lawson’s car lost all electrical power before eventually recovering roughly five seconds later, by which time he had already dropped to the back of the field.
The remainder of the race proved difficult for the 24-year-old New Zealander. Persistent issues affected his performance throughout the grand prix, and he eventually finished in 13th position after spending much of the race managing technical limitations.
“I honestly have no idea what happened,” Lawson told several media outlets, including RacingNews365.
“I launched and didn’t move, lost all power, and then couldn’t get it back for another five seconds. So, yeah, pretty frustrating.”
Lawson explained that the team had expected a stronger race after a promising qualifying session, but various technical issues complicated the race from the very beginning.
“We had a very good qualifying with both cars in a strong position. I think the race pace was okay, but we were fighting issues throughout the race and trying to manage the energy system,” he said.
Several drivers reported problems during the race start in Melbourne, with the most common issue related to insufficient battery charge in the hybrid systems, leading to slow launches from the grid.
However, Lawson insisted that his case was different. According to the Racing Bulls driver, his car experienced a complete loss of power rather than a simple energy management problem.
“I just had no power. I launched and suddenly everything was gone. I was sitting there and couldn’t get it back,” Lawson explained.
“After a couple of seconds it came back, then I had wheel spin. But I don’t know what caused it because we didn’t experience anything like that during testing.”
The unusual start malfunction will likely prompt a detailed technical review by the Racing Bulls team as the championship moves forward following the opening round of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
Baca Juga
Liam Lawson kebingungan setelah mobil Racing Bulls kehilangan tenaga saat start F1 Australia 2026, hampir menyebabkan tabrakan besar dengan Franco Colapinto.
Lance Stroll mengkritik performa Aston Martin di F1 Australia 2026 setelah masalah getaran mesin Honda dan reliabilitas mengganggu akhir pekannya.
Toto Wolff dan Mercedes dikabarkan tertarik membeli saham Alpine F1, berpotensi bersaing dengan Christian Horner dalam perebutan kepemilikan tim.
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