Controversy over the Australian GP start: did the lights go out too quickly?. F1 Australia: Was the race start illegal? Analyzing the 50ms light sequence mystery.

The lights-out timing during the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix start sparked debate, leading some to suspect an irregularity: here is what really happened

The timing of the lights going out during the start of the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix surprised many observers. The most attentive viewers immediately noticed that the fifth red light appeared to remain illuminated for only a fraction of a second before all the lights went out, officially signaling the start of the race. The result was a chaotic getaway from the grid, initially believed to have been triggered by the difficulties some power units experience when trying to bring the turbocharger up to the correct operating level.

The drivers themselves quickly pointed out that something unusual had happened. Several of them suggested that the start had been compromised by a lights-out timing that felt very unexpected. Charles Leclerc also addressed the issue during his post-race interview, explaining that “the lights going out was strange and very quick.” But what exactly happened?

The alleged irregularity

First of all, it is important to clarify the current start procedure. From this season onward, following several complaints during testing, a five-second pre-start phase was introduced before the red lights illuminate in order to allow teams to bring the turbocharger up to speed. During these five seconds — which begin when the final driver takes his place on the starting grid — drivers raise the engine revs to activate the turbine. After this brief phase, the procedure continues as it has traditionally done in Formula 1.

On X, several users pointed out that the final phase of the start sequence appeared irregular because of the extremely short time between the illumination of the last red light and the moment when all five lights went out. ScuderiaFans.com reconstructed what happened at the start with an exclusive animation. One important factor must first be taken into consideration: the television broadcast images were likely slightly sped up, something that appeared to occur throughout the race coverage. However, this alone does not fully explain the extraordinary speed with which the lights seemed to switch off.

In the animation — which shows the entire start procedure from the onboard camera of Isack Hadjar — the first red lights illuminate in a perfectly regular pattern. The mystery begins when the fifth light turns on and, almost immediately afterward, all the lights go out at remarkable speed. Looking again at several videos from other onboard cameras, it almost appears as though the fifth light barely had time to illuminate before everything switched off.

After a detailed analysis, one conclusion emerged: only around 50 milliseconds passed between the illumination of the fifth red light and the moment when all the lights went out. That is an extremely short period of time, especially considering that the average reaction time of a Formula 1 driver is usually estimated between 200 and 300 milliseconds. The key question many people are asking, however, is whether the start itself was conducted in a fully regular manner.

What the FIA regulations say

A closer look at the FIA sporting regulations provides some clarification. The rules state the following: “The interval between each of the five red lights illuminating in the lights-out sequence shall be one (1) second. The interval between the illumination of the fifth red light and the extinguishing of all lights, which signals the start of the race, shall be at the sole discretion of the permanent starter (the official responsible for deciding when to switch off the lights).”

Based on this rule, it can therefore be concluded that the start procedure was carried out within the regulations and was technically valid.

What surprised many observers was the lack of certainty experienced on the starting grid, with Franco Colapinto coming dangerously close to colliding with Liam Lawson during the getaway. The main question that remains is whether such an aggressive lights-out timing was really necessary, especially considering the already well-known difficulties that modern Formula 1 cars face during the launch phase.

While the 50-millisecond window at the Australian GP start pushed the limits of human reaction time, it remains technically legal under the FIA’s discretionary rules for the permanent starter. However, with the 2026 power units already proving temperamental during the launch phase, this “fast trigger” has highlighted a potential safety risk that the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA) may want to address before the lights go out again in Shanghai.