SEPANG — Max Verstappen slammed the shambolic start to the heavily-delayed Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia as Formula 1 drivers urged the sport to take a hard look at itself after unprecedented software failures forced a 100-minute delay at Sepang.
Sunday’s race had already been delayed by a heavy tropical thunderstorm before chaotic scenes unfolded on the formation lap, the first-ever wet event under the new-for-2026 engine regulations. Both Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton were seen crawling around the track with power unit gremlins, and with multiple cars grinding to a halt the attempted start was abandoned before the race finally got going one hour and 40 minutes later than planned. “That’s the problem that we have. You know, these engines are so complicated and a lot of software is implemented,” said Verstappen, who was the first driver plagued by issues. Hamilton had to stop on the main straight to restart his Ferrari, something he said he has never had to do in his near-20-year F1 career. Championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli described the formation lap as “insane,” adding: “At some point, we were five-wide in the straight because we couldn't understand what was going on.”
Verstappen, who went on to claim his first victory of the season in a race largely held in dry conditions after the delays allowed the track to dry, detailed the failure in his Red Bull RB22. “There was nothing going on, that was the problem,” he said. “It was just like driving at 35 km/h going uphill, actually losing speed.” The FIA issued a statement explaining teams were sent updated software to make “necessary changes” to their power units. “It was because they had to update the software, and then you have to load it into the car,” Verstappen said. “I guess some had some faster laptops than others. That was the delay, just getting the software transfer for everyone. We're partnered with Oracle [Red Bull's title partner], so we have a very fast connection. We were waiting for half an hour, so maybe some others had a bit of a slower connection.”
George Russell, who retired due to an engine failure with five laps remaining, said he would have “been a bit disappointed if I was in the stands.” “The whole day felt like a bit of a faff, with the delay and then the red flag and then endless laps under the safety car and then suddenly doing extra laps to allow Checo [Sergio Perez] to overtake, it didn't feel very F1 today,” Russell said. “The power units are exceptionally complicated. The more complicated you make things, the more there is to go wrong.” Reigning world champion Lando Norris called the situation “horrible” and said it “just proves that we shouldn't have any of that stuff on the electronic side,” while Williams driver Carlos Sainz said F1 “needs to have a hard look at themselves and see how we ended up in this situation.”
“It is clear the regs are extremely complicated for the drivers, for the teams, for the PUs, for the manufacturers. It is too complicated,” Sainz added. “We are doing the best with what we are given as a sport and as regulations. The FIA and F1 are doing the best they can with what was decided four or five years ago, but clearly what was decided four or five years ago is wrong… If it was a V8 aspirated, it would have never happened.” The win in Sepang followed Verstappen's pole position at Sepang and ended his wait for a first victory of the 2026 season.