Liam Lawson left searching for answers after scary Australian GP near-miss

Liam Lawson has revealed that he is still looking for answers as to what caused his frightening near-miss at the start of the Australian Grand Prix, with him having "no idea" what happened.

The Racing Bulls driver qualified in eighth but was incredibly slow off the line, putting him in danger of being hit from behind by a faster-moving car.

Alpine's Franco Colapinto showcased lightning reactions to somehow avoid ploughing directly into the back of the barely moving Lawson, in what would have been an enormous collision.

Lawson's car lost all power before finally spurting back to life five seconds later, by which point he had already tumbled to the back.

In the end, the 24-year-old's race was plagued by problems, resulting in a disappointing 13th-place finish.

Asked what happened at the start, Lawson told select media including RacingNews365: "I honestly have no idea. I launched and didn't move, lost all power, and then couldn't get it back for another five seconds. So, yeah, pretty frustrating.

"We had a very good [qualifying]—had both cars in a great position. I think the pace for the race was okay. Just sort of fighting issues throughout the race, trying to manage energy.

"So it's something I review, but definitely not a clean day. Even after the start and through the race, we were fighting issues, so it's a shame."

Lawson's start confusion

Lawson was not alone in experiencing an issue as the lights went out at Melbourne's Albert Park, as several drivers reported problems.

The main issue experienced across much of the grid was having no charge in the battery, resulting in a slow getaway from the line.

However, in Lawson's situation, he insisted his problem was different, as his car completely lost power—something that did not happen in testing.

"It was just… I had no power, so I launched and, yeah, just lost all power. I was sitting there and couldn't get it back.

"And then a couple of seconds later, I got it back, and then got wheel spin. But yeah, I don't know what happened. I haven't had that in testing."