F1 Drivers Slam FIA Software Bug at Bahrain GP Start — SkimNews
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- FIA software caused multiple F1 cars to lose power at the Bahrain Grand Prix start, with pole-sitter Max Verstappen first, then Lewis Hamilton on the front row grinding to a halt before completing a single formation lap
- The race start was delayed over 90 minutes after cars returned to the pits for a software patch, following an initial 40-minute delay caused by heavy rain at Malaysia's first grand prix since 2017
- The FIA attributed the failures to "an unprecedented combination of low engine speed, low-grip conditions, wet-weather energy management settings and the Sepang circuit's sector configuration"
- Drivers — including Lando Norris, Sergio Pérez, Lance Stroll, and Carlos Sainz — blamed 2024's power unit regulations, which require nearly 50% of a car's power to come from its battery, calling the situation "horrible," "sad," and "totally unacceptable"
- Max Verstappen won the disrupted race, with Kimi Antonelli finishing second to extend his championship lead and Lewis Hamilton third; Verstappen said he triggered the glitch first and then saw everyone else lose power behind him
- George Russell retired under the final safety car period with a power unit issue, calling the day "a bit of a faff" and saying fans in the stands "deserved a better show"; Sainz questioned who "five years ago decided that this was the direction to go"
Why it matters: The FIA's 2024 power unit regulations — mandating nearly 50% battery-derived power — caused mass grid failures in wet conditions through a software glitch, delaying the race over 90 minutes and effectively ending Russell's title bid. Multiple drivers across teams called the regulations 'horrible' and 'totally unacceptable,' an unusual show of paddock unity that directly challenges the FIA's hybrid-era direction decided half a decade ago.
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