Tombazis links Sepang formation-lap failures to a software bug

Rain had already delayed the start at Sepang by 40 minutes when several cars suffered power problems on the formation lap, prompting a red flag before the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia could begin.

FIA official Nikolas Tombazis said a combination of very slow cars and a concertina effect, with some cars nearly at a standstill, triggered the bug. It prevented power from being redeployed, leaving affected cars unable to get moving again.

At the post-race FIA press conference, Hamilton said his power did not return during the pre-start problem and he had to stop on track and restart the car.

Tombazis said FIA staff quickly identified the problem and issued a software update for teams to install. He estimated that response at about 20 minutes. The race restarted after a 53-minute red-flag delay.

Verstappen separately described the actual race start after the stoppage: he said he had no power as he dropped the clutch and the engine died.

Tombazis said the software had not been tested as extensively as he would have liked because there had been very little wet running that season. He said more testing probably would have caught the bug in time.