Formula 1 in Singapore under pressure after software disaster in Malaysia

The weather forecasts should only give Formula 1 bosses a limited sigh of relief. Chance of rain for race day in Singapore: Only 30 percent. But there may be a thunderstorm in the evening hours. And the night race starts at 8 p.m. (2 p.m. CET/Sky). Is the motorsport premier class threatened with the next “Lego race”? The farce of Malaysia needs to be dealt with as quickly as possible.

“We barely got above 20 km/h”

“The solution was an improvised, short-term measure,” said the technical director of the World Automobile Association, Nikolas Tombazis, that evening in Sepang. “Now we have to analyze and understand the factors carefully. I don’t know the full answer yet.” Several cars were just rolling or even standing still on the formation lap. They simply stopped accelerating.

“When I stepped on the gas, I had the exact same problem and realized everyone was in the same boat. We barely got above 20 km/h. I don't know, it's a bit scary to see something like that in a Formula 1 car," said Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc. “You don’t have complete control over the performance you get. With visibility like that at the start of the race, it can lead to serious accidents.” World champion Lando Norris from McLaren emphasized: "It just proves that we shouldn't have all this stuff, this electronic part."

Just too much and too complicated?

Criticism of the new drive generation continues throughout this season. “The new rules are obviously so complex for the teams that it was simply too much this year,” said former Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher, who once won in Sepang, as an expert on the Sky channel.

This year's cars get half of their power from the combustion engine and the other half from the electric unit. If the battery is empty, significantly less power is available. This also means that there can be massive differences in speed on the route and the risk of serious accidents is significantly higher. Drivers have been warning for a long time.

A bug in the system

There are corresponding settings for certain conditions - including rain. Just like in Malaysia. The only problem: “So far this year we have had little or no really wet conditions. Therefore, this software had not yet been tested under real conditions.” A statement from Tombazis.

There was an image crash in Sepang. According to official information, low engine speed, little grip, rain settings for energy management and the sector configuration of the racetrack led to an unintentional loss of power. A bug was to blame in the software that the FIA ​​developed together with the teams.

“What a sad sight for Formula 1: the start was postponed due to a software update!” mocked Italy’s “Corriere dello Sport”. “It was like the Lego race,” said race winner Max Verstappen. The Red Bull driver was one of the main victims before he raced to his first success of the season.

The computer scientists and engineers don't have much time left. The 2026 Formula 1 World Championship will enter its next round next weekend. Setting Singapore. Also means: Practically the same climatic conditions as in Malaysia. The route is less than 350 kilometers further to the southeast.