Russell says Bahrain GP start in Malaysia “didn't feel very F1” after software glitch

A software glitch disrupted the wet start to the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, leaving several cars struggling to move. Mercedes driver George Russell said: “It didn't feel very F1.” McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said the start was not ideal for Formula 1’s presentation.

A tropical downpour delayed attempts to get the race under way for the best part of an hour. The cars set off behind the safety car on formation laps to test the conditions.

The fault lay in software governing how the engines’ electrical power could be used in wet conditions. It was triggered by low engine speeds, low grip and specific aspects of the circuit layout.

Stella said this was the first year of complex new regulations and the first time the cars had started in such conditions. He credited F1’s work to make the new rules function for racing, but said glitches should be met with support and this one must not happen again.

Nikolas Tombazis, the FIA’s single-seater director, said a full investigation would follow. He said the software had been tested, but not in these specific conditions, partly because there had been little wet running that year.