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Verstappen says engine-rev problems cost him power at Bahrain GP start

GPBeat reports that Max Verstappen struggled to get away when the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia started after a long red flag. He said engine-rev problems cost him a lot of power.

GPBeat · Newsroom04 Oct 2026, 21:56 · 1 min

Max Verstappen struggled to get away when the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia eventually started after a lengthy red flag. After the race, he said engine-rev problems at the start cost him a lot of power.

He said things improved afterward. Verstappen also described the start problem as almost the same as the issue he had on the formation lap, and said it needed improvement.

The FIA's post-race statement addressed the formation lap, attributing unintended power loss in a number of cars to a combination of low engine speed, low-grip conditions, wet-weather energy-management settings and the sector configuration at Sepang.

In its post-race statement, the FIA said that during the heavy-rain red flag it had lifted the energy restriction in the affected sectors and distributed revised software to all teams. It said this enabled teams to make the necessary power-unit adjustments before the race. The FIA said it would fully investigate the issue with teams and power-unit manufacturers.

Sources 03
  1. SOURCEVerstappen haakt gevat in op startchaos: "Heb je met V8 geen last van!"RacingNews365 Nederland
  2. SOURCEVerstappen en Hamilton lachen om F1-chaos: "Net LEGO-kracht!"RacingNews365 Nederland
  3. SOURCEFIA komt met statement over startchaos: "Combinatie van deze factoren"RacingNews365 Nederland
Claims and supporting evidence 7
Verstappen struggled to get away when the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia began after a lengthy red flag.

Source 1 describes the red-flag delay and Verstappen's difficulty getting moving.

[1]
Verstappen said engine-rev problems at the start cost him a lot of power.

Source 1 records this as Verstappen's post-race account.

[1]
Verstappen said things improved afterward.

Source 1 records his description of how things developed after the difficult start.

[1]
He compared the start problem with what he experienced on the formation lap and said it needed improvement.

This is attributed to Verstappen's reported comparison and assessment, not presented as a technical finding about a shared cause.

[1]
The FIA's post-race statement attributed unintended power loss in a number of cars on the formation lap to low engine speed, low grip, wet-weather energy-management settings and Sepang's sector configuration.

Source 3 reproduces the FIA statement and scopes its explanation to the formation lap.

[3]
The FIA said it lifted the energy restriction in affected sectors and distributed revised software to all teams during the heavy-rain red flag, enabling power-unit adjustments before the race.

Source 3 records the FIA's account of the measures and their stated effect.

[3]
The FIA said it would fully investigate the issue with teams and power-unit manufacturers.

Source 3 records the FIA's stated plan to investigate.

[3]

This article was produced with AI assistance. Source references make its supporting evidence traceable.