Powerless F1 drivers frustrated by Bahrain F1 software glitch
F1 drivers slammed a power-unit software bug that idled cars and delayed the wet Bahrain GP by 50 minutes.
At the first wet race for 2026-generation Formula 1 cars at Sepang, a bug in the power-unit controller's wet-weather mode left multiple cars stuck in idle during formation laps. The FIA aborted the start and rapidly delivered a software patch to all 11 teams during a red-flag stoppage, lifting the usual wet-weather power reduction. The race began after a roughly 50-minute delay. Drivers including Lando Norris, Sergio Perez, Oliver Bearman, Fernando Alonso, and Max Verstappen called the electronics failure unacceptable.
- Wet-weather mode bug left cars stuck in idle at very low speed.
- FIA rushed a software patch to all 11 teams during a red flag.
- The Bahrain GP start at Sepang was delayed about 50 minutes.
- Drivers called the hybrid power-unit electronics unacceptable.
- Countries
- Malaysia
From the original article
4 min read at motorsport.com
Leading F1 drivers are despairing at power unit software glitches that derailed the start of the Bahrain GP in Malaysia, with Lando Norris calling the electronic glitches "horrible" and further proof that F1 should move away from hybrids. The start at a wet Sepang circuit was aborted after a large number of cars suffered crippling software issues.
By llm_nerd · motorsport.com
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