Formula 1’s return to Malaysia after a nine-year absence was marked by an unexpected technical disruption that delayed the start of Sunday’s race at the Sepang International Circuit by more than 90 minutes. A heavy rain shower just before the cars took their positions on the grid forced race control to postpone the start, and when the race finally began on a damp track, engine software issues quickly emerged, causing widespread frustration among drivers and teams.
Max Verstappen initially led the field behind the safety car for two formation laps. However, drivers soon reported a loss of power delivery—Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, Nico Hülkenberg, Esteban Ocon, Ollie Bearman, Sergio Pérez, and others experienced their throttle inputs going unheeded, causing their cars to slow dramatically or stop. Some drivers had to reset their cars from the cockpit to recover power, prompting confusion on track as multiple cars slowed to avoid breaking race regulations by overtaking under formation conditions.
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli, whose car was unaffected, described the situation as “insane,” noting the unusual sight of multiple cars abreast on the straight due to the power loss. Lewis Hamilton likened the slow pace to a prior event dubbed the “Lego race” at Silverstone, where speeds were capped at just 20 mph. Race control eventually abandoned the attempt to start the race, sending the cars back to the pit lane in disorganized order and extending the delay.
The issue was traced to a software bug in the engine management system, specifically in the algorithm controlling energy deployment from the hybrid battery systems that contribute nearly half the cars’ total power. The wet conditions, coupled with low speeds on the formation lap and particular wet-weather power restrictions, revealed a flaw that had not been detected during limited pre-race wet-weather testing. The Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) issued a software update to all teams during the delay, which fixed the problem by removing additional power reductions that had triggered the fault.
The engine control software’s complexity has been a source of driver concern throughout the season, with reports of inconsistent and unpredictable energy deployment under varying conditions. Verstappen himself has previously criticized aspects of Formula 1’s technical regulations for 2026, describing them as detrimental to racing. This race underscored those ongoing issues, especially as engines rely increasingly on complex energy management.
“We’re sure we will learn from it, but what happened today is totally unacceptable for the sport,” Pérez commented after the incident. Nikolas Tombazis, the FIA’s single-seater director overseeing technical matters, acknowledged that more extensive wet-weather testing would likely have prevented the problem from arising.
Once the software fix was implemented and the track dried, the race went ahead, with Verstappen passing Antonelli and eventually securing the win for Red Bull. The FIA plans to adjust engine rules in 2027 and 2028 to lessen dependence on electrical energy, aiming to address some of the current complexities. Still, as Carlos Sainz of Williams noted, the difficulties at Sepang highlighted fundamental challenges stemming from decisions made years ago regarding power unit technology.