From RaceFans · · 1m 20s
FIA blames unprecedented car stoppages on formation lap
FIA says software issues caused cars to stop on formation lap ahead of Bahrain GP.
In brief
FIA says software issues caused cars to stop on formation lap ahead of Bahrain GP. FIA confirmed software changes fixed power unit problems after drivers lost power during formation lap at Sepang. Originally reported by RaceFans.
FIA confirms formation lap stoppages
The FIA says an unexpected combination of factors caused car stoppages which delayed the start of today's race.
Drivers faced power loss during formation lap
Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton suffered serious loss of power causing their cars to slow and delay the rest of the pack.
Race control abandoned start attempt
Race control eventually abandoned the attempt to start the race and summoned the field back into the pits.
Software fix enabled race restart
The race finally started some 50 minutes later after software changes were applied to the cars.
FIA technical department explains issue
The FIA confirmed the problem originated with its systems and said it would look into it.
FIA technical department details problem
On the formation lap ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, an unprecedented combination of low engine speed, low-grip conditions, wet-weather energy management settings and the Sepang circuit’s sector configuration led to an unintended loss of power for a number of cars.
What it means
FIA confirmed software changes fixed power unit problems after drivers lost power during formation lap at Sepang.
