SEPANG — McLaren F1 chief Andrea Stella says Formula 1 must avoid a repeat of the crippling software bug that aborted the start at Sepang, but accepts that occasional glitches are possible under the current regulations.
The start at the wet Sepang circuit was aborted after a large number of cars suffered a crippling software bug that left them coasting with no throttle input on the formation laps, according to the wire report. Stella said he "accepts" that such bugs are a possibility with the current regulations, but hoped the FIA could avoid a repeat.
Stella's comments frame the incident as a systems issue rather than an isolated team failure. He acknowledged the complexity of the current regulatory package while calling for safeguards to prevent a similar aborted start from happening again.
The aborted start added to a chaotic weekend at Sepang that also saw strategy gambles unravel, as detailed in Verstappen's criticism of the Sepang shambles as drivers demanded answers.