McLaren’s Andrea Stella Warns Melbourne "Near-Miss" Validates Major Safety Fears Over 2026 Start Procedures and "Super Clipping"

Andrea Stella says the Australian GP "near-miss" between Lawson and Colapinto proves 2026 F1 start rules and battery "clipping" are major safety risks.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 10, 2026, 7:26 AM EDT

Source: The information in this article was sourced from Motorsport.com

The Start-Line Crisis in the 2026 Era

The 2026 season opener in Melbourne provided a stark realization for Formula 1’s governing body as the new start procedure nearly resulted in a catastrophic multi-car accident. Under the revamped power unit regulations, drivers are required to spool up their turbochargers while stationary—a complex process that led the FIA to extend the pre-start holding time by five seconds. Despite this adjustment, RB’s Liam Lawson suffered a slow getaway, forcing Alpine’s Franco Colapinto to perform a high-speed swerve to avoid a direct rear-end collision. McLaren chief Andrea Stella insists that this "near-miss" confirms that the massive speed differentials on the grid remain an unresolved safety flaw.

Unpredictable Closing Speeds and "Super Clipping"

Beyond the start, the race at Albert Park exposed the dangers of "super clipping," a phenomenon where cars abruptly lose electrical deployment at the end of straights to begin harvesting energy while still at full throttle. This creates a volatile environment for following drivers, who may suddenly encounter a car traveling significantly slower than expected. McLaren driver Lando Norris expressed particular concern about the unpredictability of these speed deltas during wheel-to-wheel battles. Stella echoed these sentiments, noting that while no major accident occurred in Melbourne, the series cannot remain complacent simply because they "got lucky" in the first race.

Artificial Racing vs. Tactical Mastery

The Australian Grand Prix featured numerous battery-driven overtakes, including a lead duel between George Russell and Charles Leclerc. While fans welcomed the action, Stella labeled these battles as an "artefact" of the new regulations. He argues that the high volume of passing seen in Melbourne was largely a result of teams and drivers being in different states of energy management as they learned the new systems on the fly. Stella predicts that once teams converge on optimal deployment strategies, the "excitement" will fade, leaving behind a racing product that is both difficult to manage and potentially stagnant once the field settles into a uniform pattern.