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

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.