# FIA blames unprecedented car stoppages on formation lap

> FIA says software issues caused cars to stop on formation lap ahead of Bahrain GP.
- Title: FIA blames unprecedented car stoppages on formation lap
- Summary: 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…
- Keywords: fia, bahrain grand prix, sepang circuit, formation lap, power unit, software update, sports, cars, blames, unprecedented, car, stoppages
- Source: RaceFans — https://racefans.net/2026/10/04/fia-blames-unprecedented-circumstances-for-car-stoppages-on-formation-lap
- Published: 2026-10-04T12:18:27+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: fia, bahrain grand prix, sepang circuit, formation lap, power unit, software update, sports, cars
## 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.
## Key takeaway

FIA confirmed software changes fixed power unit problems after drivers lost power during formation lap at Sepang.