Software problems cause chaos at the Formula 1 race in Sepang

During the introductory lap, several drivers only crept around the Sepang International Circuit very slowly, and some stopped completely. Software problems left the drivers stranded, as it later emerged.

»I had to stop on the track, turn off the car and the engine and then restart it. I've never done that before," emphasized record champion Lewis Hamilton, who will soon be competing in his 400th Grand Prix at the age of 41.

There was "great panic" when they all had no power, the Brit recalled the absurd scenes when Formula 1 racing cars crawled over the wet asphalt at walking pace on the formation lap or rolled to a stop on the side of the track. Max Verstappen, who took his first win of the season on Sunday, was also caught. "That's not exactly what you want in sports, is it?" he asked.

The comeback in Malaysia, where Formula 1 last raced in 2017, brought a novelty this season: not a single session had taken place on a wet, slippery track in 2026.

For Sepang, the probability of rain was high throughout the entire race weekend, but it always remained dry - only 40 minutes before the planned start did it suddenly rain down on the track. After the cloudburst, which had already caused a delay, the technology of the complicated cars caused even more delay.

"It was a total combination of several events," said the Technical Director of the International Automobile Association FIA, Nikolas Tombazis: "That messed up the software so that the cars could no longer accelerate." For safety reasons because of the rain and the wet track, the settings for the new hybrid drives with almost 50 percent electric content had been changed. But that went wrong because there was no experience with such conditions.

Verstappen, already a big critic of the new power units, saw his position confirmed again on Sunday. "That's our problem: that the engines are so complicated that they depend so much on the software," said the four-time champion.

Other drivers also joined in. Cadillac driver and former teammate at Red Bull, Sergio Pérez, said that his car reminded him of a “rental kart,” as the Mexican is quoted by the “Motorsport total” portal.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was worried about safety. »We were only making progress at around 20 kilometers per hour. It's a bit scary to see something like that in a Formula 1 car. Because that could have led to a big accident, said the Monegasque.

“An unworthy spectacle for the premier class of motorsport,” wrote the “Salzburger Nachrichten”. "Formula 1 turned (...) into a 'formula farce' in Malaysia when the supposedly most modern cars in the world couldn't make progress on wet roads," scoffed the "Daily Mail" from England.

After the race, the FIA ​​announced detailed investigations and a review. This will take place “together with the teams and the manufacturers of the drive units,” it said in a statement on Sunday after the Grand Prix.