BahrainGP in Malaysia: FIA Explains Chaotic Formation-Lap Power Failures That Delayed

Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) has explained the bizarre scenes that delayed the start of the Bahrain Grand Prix, after a string of cars lost power on the formation lap at the relocated Sepang International Circuit.

In a statement issued after the race, the governing body said an unprecedented combination of low engine speed, low-grip conditions, wet-weather energy management settings and Sepang's sector configuration caused the unintended power loss. FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis later told media at the track that cars bunched up behind the slow-moving field, with some almost stopping completely.

The problem hit cars running Ferrari, Red Bull and Audi power units, which is why the FIA's statement described an issue affecting multiple cars rather than a single team. The FIA's technical department responded by removing the energy limit constraint in the affected sectors through an updated software release sent to every competitor during the rain delay, allowing teams to make the necessary power-unit changes before the race finally got underway.

Crucially, the fault had escaped detection during both pre-season testing and the laps to the grid, leaving the FIA, the teams and the power-unit manufacturers with no warning before Sunday's formation lap turned into a stoppage. The governing body has now committed to a full review of the issue, though no timeline has been given.

The drama capped an unusual weekend for the championship. With Bahrain's Sakhir circuit unavailable, the race was run under the Bahrain GP banner but staged at Sepang in Malaysia, a venue that hosted Formula 1 from 1999 to 2017. Once the field finally got going, Max Verstappen claimed his 72nd career Grand Prix victory, marking the first win for Red Bull's in-house powertrain project, with Kimi Antonelli and Lewis Hamilton completing the podium.

The power-unit glitch did little to ease tension over F1's current engine rules. Both Verstappen and Hamilton were frustrated by the formation-lap failures and likened the championship's complex power units to "LEGO." Verstappen, who has previously threatened to quit the sport over his dislike of the new regulations, was eventually able to get back up to speed once the software fix came through.