Stella urges F1 to prevent a repeat of Sepang start fault, while accepting occasional glitches

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella says Formula 1 should prevent a repeat of the software fault that delayed the start of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia at Sepang, while accepting that occasional technical glitches can happen.

Thunderstorms had already delayed Sunday's start, and the first start procedure was suspended after several drivers struggled to maintain speed on the formation lap. Motorsport.com reported that a software bug left a large number of cars coasting without throttle on the formation laps. During the ensuing 50-minute delay, FIA engineers coded a hotfix and sent it to teams to install. The Grand Prix ultimately ran 55 laps.

Sepang was the first wet-weather race for this generation of power units. Stella praised F1's work on the new regulations and on making the racing work, while acknowledging questions about power-unit behaviour. He said the sport should accept occasional glitches and support efforts to stop this specific problem recurring. The regulations' novelty, he added, could mean some aspects still need tuning.

As a competitor, Stella said he would not feel comfortable saying the episode fell short of the right standards, pointing to the problems teams face on many weekends. McLaren's drivers were affected too, but to a lesser extent than some rivals.

FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis said after the race that the specific Sepang problem would not happen again, though he could not guarantee that no other problem would arise.