We strive to remain an independent source of motorsport business. If Business of Speed has provided you with useful insights this year, please consider subscribing.
Max Verstappen slowed almost to a stop on Sepang’s formation lap. Lewis Hamilton stopped altogether and restarted his Ferrari on the circuit, something he said he had never done before. Other cars crawled around them. Race Control abandoned the start.
Rain had already delayed Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia by 40 minutes. The software fault added another 53 minutes before the field could try again. Every team had to install an FIA update before its car could restart.
In April, the FIA reduced maximum electrical deployment in wet conditions to limit torque when grip falls. Autosport linked the Sepang bug to the software change. Cars crawling behind the safety car hit an energy-limit constraint in certain sectors, according to the FIA. Nikolas Tombazis, the FIA’s single-seater director, said the FIA and teams developed the software together for the standard electronic control unit. Their tests had missed this low-speed case. The FIA removed the constraint in those sectors and sent the teams updated software.
Tombazis put the update, installation, and checks at roughly 20 to 25 minutes. The full hold lasted longer while every car was readied under the same rules. Verstappen described cars moving five-wide during the formation lap as drivers tried to understand why their power had vanished.
Tombazis told Autosport the patch had not been tested. He believed it did not compromise the safety or fairness of the restart. The FIA has not identified the affected sectors or said how much power the change restored there.
The restart brought objections to both the grid reset and the software behind the stoppage. Fernando Alonso questioned the decision to return stopped cars to their original grid positions. He told RACER that when his Aston Martin stops during a race, nobody suspends the event to restore his place. Asked if Sunday’s treatment was unfair, he answered, “100 percent,” though he acknowledged he lacked the full explanation. Carlos Sainz focused on the 2026 power units, arguing that they depend too heavily on software and central control as conditions change.
The FIA, teams, and power unit manufacturers have promised a full review of the issue.
Business of Speed covers the business, technology, and lifestyle of racing: Formula 1, IndyCar, IMSA, WEC, NASCAR, and more. From Vincenzo Landino, entrepreneur and creator, featured in Bloomberg, TBPN, Yahoo! Finance, Forbes, Adweek, and Front Office Sports. You can find us on Instagram, Substack, and LinkedIn.
