Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton dealt with a bizarre software malfunction during formation laps ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia on October 4, 2026, where a tropical downpour and an electrical power glitch restricted multiple cars to a crawling pace that drivers likened to a "Lego race".
Software Glitch Turns Grid Into a Crawling Spectacle
A severe tropical downpour delayed the grand prix start for nearly an hour at the Sepang circuit. When the field finally set off behind the safety car to evaluate track conditions, drivers faced an unexpected electrical anomaly.
A software bug managing electrical power deployment in wet conditions was triggered by low engine speeds, minimal grip, and specific circuit layouts. Verstappen, starting on the front row alongside Hamilton, described the surreal fallout during the post-race press conference.
“These engines are so complicated and a lot of software is implemented,” Verstappen said, noting he secured a dominant victory that marked his first win of the year. “I triggered [the problem] first and then I looked in my mirror, I was like, ‘Wait, are they waiting for me or what’s going [on]…? It was like the Lego race.”
Verstappen referenced a prior exhibition featuring battery-powered Lego F1 cars held before the British Grand Prix in July. Hamilton, who finished third, experienced the same limitation on track. “Yeah, we had the same speed,” Hamilton interjected during the press conference. “I had to stop on track and stop the car and engine and restart it. I’ve never done that before.”
FIA Launches Investigation Into Power Unit Complexities
Nikolas Tombazis, the single-seater director for the FIA, confirmed a full investigation is underway. Tombazis explained that while the software had undergone prior testing, it lacked validation in these precise wet-weather conditions because teams had logged minimal running in the rain throughout the season.
The incident highlighted ongoing friction surrounding the newly introduced hybrid engines, which operate on a near 50-50 split between internal combustion and electrical power. Because these power units remain fundamentally energy-starved, complex management software has drawn persistent driver complaints regarding counter-intuitive handling all season.
| Driver | Team | Race Result | Key Incident |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Verstappen | 1st | Triggered initial software bug; took first win of the season | |
| Lewis Hamilton | 3rd | Forced to stop and restart engine on track during formation laps | |
| George Russell | Mercedes | DNF | Retired from the race due to an engine failure |
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella acknowledged the optical damage to the sport’s presentation. “What happened at the start obviously is not ideal in terms of presentation of the sport,” Stella stated, while emphasizing that the grid must accommodate the steep learning curve of complex first-year regulations under wet duress.
Grid Reset Avoids Administrative Chaos
The software failure created a secondary dilemma for race control when the field order scrambled behind the safety car.
Mercedes deputy team principal Bradley Lord noted the massive broadcasting implications of the alternate scenario. “If you think of the millions of people watching around the world, they tune in for the start and suddenly the cars are all in a jumbled up order because of something that happened 40 minutes earlier,” Lord said.
Tombazis confirmed that while this specific software bug can be permanently eradicated, the overarching complexity of managing simultaneous electrical and combustion energy leaves the door open for future technical hurdles as the season progresses.
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