What changed
A wet-weather engine-map software bug disrupted the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, leaving several cars struggling to move on their formation laps. The start was abandoned, a new code was issued, and the race began 90 minutes late.
Carlos Sainz, a Williams driver and director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, said Formula 1 needs to “have a hard look at” its increasingly complicated regulations. The FIA has launched a full review.
Why it matters
This was not simply a software hiccup. The bug exposed how many layers of control now sit between a driver and a moving car.
The 2026 power units split power roughly equally between internal combustion and electrical systems. They can produce about 1,000bhp at full power, but around 540bhp when the batteries are depleted. Battery deployment and recharging can happen several times a lap, while wet conditions reduce total electrical power from 350kW to 250kW.
That means the cars are being managed through an intricate energy puzzle. Drivers may slow at the end of straights to recharge, and fast corners can become battery “charging stations” rather than pure tests of speed and control.
The informed speculation is that the review will strengthen the case for simpler rules. If the FIA and teams cannot keep the systems predictable in unusual conditions, the sport risks making its technology the main event. The energy split is already scheduled to move toward 60-40 in favour of internal combustion by 2028, but the review’s findings and any rule changes remain unknown.
Comments
No comments yet.