Liam Lawson is still looking for answers to the scary incident, which could have caused a major accident at the start of the Formula 1 Australian GP. The Racing Bulls driver, who started eighth, was extremely slow off the line, putting him at risk of being hit by a faster car coming from the back of the grid.
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“Honestly, I have no idea. I started and practically didn’t move, I lost all power and couldn’t recover it for another five seconds. So, yes, it was quite frustrating,” Lawson told RacingNews365.
The situation only didn’t turn into a serious collision thanks to the quick reaction of Franco Colapinto, from Alpine, who managed to swerve in time to avoid Lawson’s car. The Racing Bulls driver ended up falling to the back of the field and faced difficulties throughout the race, finishing 13th.
Lawson highlighted that, despite a good qualifying session, problems arose during the race: “We had a very good qualifying session, with both team cars in a great position. I think the race pace was okay. It’s just that we had problems during the race, trying to manage energy. It was a difficult day. Even after the start, we were struggling with problems, so it’s a shame,” he said.
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Lawson’s incident at the start was not isolated, as several drivers reported similar problems at the Albert Park circuit, generally related to a lack of battery charge. However, the Racing Bulls driver assured that his case was different, as his car completely lost power, something that had not happened in testing.
“I simply had no power. I started and lost everything. A few seconds later I recovered, but the car spun its wheels. I don’t know what happened. It had never happened in testing,” the New Zealander added.
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