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The 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang, Malaysia, was delayed after several cars lost power or nearly stopped on a wet formation lap. The FIA removed an energy-limit constraint in the affected circuit sectors and sent teams a software update to install. FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis said issuing and installing the change took about 20 minutes; it was an emergency race-day mitigation, not a confirmed permanent fix.
What happened on the formation lap?
Heavy rain delayed the start, and cars followed the safety car around Sepang at unusually low speeds. During the wet formation lap, several cars lost power or nearly came to a standstill. The FIA described the incident as an unprecedented combination of low engine speed, low grip, wet-weather energy-management settings and the circuit’s sector configuration, in a statement reproduced by Motorsport Week.
Tombazis told Autosport that the bug prevented power from being redeployed after cars slowed almost to a stop. He said testing had not covered this specific combination of wet settings and very low speeds behind the safety car. Autosport reported that wet-condition power reduction was associated with a 250 kW limit, but the FIA did not yet have a formal explanation for why the internal-combustion engine also appeared to be affected. That distinction matters: the reported circumstances and symptoms were clear, but the precise technical mechanism was not fully established.
How did the FIA get the cars moving again?
The FIA Technical Department removed the energy-limit constraint in the affected sectors and distributed an updated software release to competitors. Teams installed the change on their cars before the race could start. Tombazis called the response rushed and acknowledged that the update itself was not tested before deployment. It was a practical response to the immediate race-day problem, rather than a validated permanent correction.
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How long did the update take, and how long was the race delayed?
Autosport reported that issuing the update and having teams install it took about 20 minutes. Its coverage described the interruption in other ways: one account said fans waited 40 minutes before seeing F1 action, while another put the restart delay at 53 minutes. Those figures cover different intervals in a rain and red-flag interruption; they are not conflicting estimates of the software installation time.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What remains unresolved?
Tombazis said the software had been tested, but not extensively in the specific conditions that arose. The FIA, teams and power-unit manufacturers announced a full review. The contemporaneous reports do not provide its completed findings, a final engineering explanation of the apparent engine-power effect, or confirmation of a permanent software remedy. The available account therefore supports a clear explanation of the trigger and the emergency response, but not a claim that the underlying issue was definitively solved.
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