Software chaos exposes F1’s 2026 complexity
"It felt like you were in rental karting"
Formula 1’s chaotic wet start at Sepang has triggered fresh criticism of the hugely complex 2026 regulations.
Several cars suddenly lost power on the formation lap, forcing race control to halt the starting procedure while the FIA distributed an emergency software update.
Top FIA official Nikolas Tombazis admitted the wet-weather software had barely been tested in real conditions because F1 has had so little genuine wet running this season.
"There are special software settings for rainy conditions for safety, to prevent power spikes," he explained.
"There was a software error, and that meant that some cars, when travelling at very low speeds, couldn’t accelerate again."
The FIA said an "unprecedented combination" of low engine speed, low grip, wet-weather energy settings and Sepang’s sector configuration caused the failures, forcing it to remove the affected energy limits through updated software.
Lewis Hamilton summed up the spectacle bluntly: "It was like the Lego race."
George Russell called the whole procedure "a bit of a faff" and said it "didn’t feel very F1".
Sergio Perez was harsher.
"It felt like you were in rental karting and you ran out of time," said the Mexican.
"What happened today is totally unacceptable for the sport."
Carlos Sainz, a director of the GPDA, said the episode exposed a deeper problem with the current technical direction.
"It’s clear that the regulations are extremely complex for the drivers, the teams, the power units, and the manufacturers," said the Williams driver.
"It’s far too complicated. Once again, my only question is: who decided five years ago that this was the way forward?"
"If it were a naturally aspirated V8 engine, this would never have happened," Sainz concluded.
The FIA has promised a full review with the teams and power unit manufacturers.