A Software Bug Left F1 Cars Unable To Move — And Now Carlos Sainz Says The Sport Needs To "Have A Hard Look" At Itself

Stop scrolling, because Formula 1 just had a "have you tried turning it off and on again?" moment on a global stage — and one of its own drivers is now saying the sport needs a long, hard look in the mirror.

Yes, really. A software bug stopped cars from moving properly before the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, and the fallout is still going.

Wait, What Actually Happened?

According to BBC Sport, a bug in the software for a wet-weather engine map left a number of cars struggling to move on the formation laps. Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton were among the drivers who lost power before the start.

The start had to be abandoned. A new software code was issued. The race finally got going about an hour and a half late.

BBC describes the glitches as "unprecedented." Hamilton, meanwhile, was reportedly left bemused as the whole thing turned into what BBC's headline called a "Lego race." We are NOT okay.

Why Did It Happen?

Here's the part that's honestly a bit wild. BBC reports there had been very little wet running this year, and the exact circumstances that triggered the bug had never come up before. The rain basically found a hole nobody knew was there.

The trigger sits inside F1's new engine rules: in the wet, total electrical power drops from 350kW to 250kW. The 2026 power units are a near 50-50 split between combustion and electric, and that complexity is the heart of the row.

Sainz Did NOT Hold Back

Williams driver Carlos Sainz, who is a director of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association, told BBC that F1 "needs to have a hard look at" itself.

His take, in a nutshell: the rules are extremely complicated for drivers, teams and manufacturers alike. He also asked, pointedly, "Who decided five years ago that this was the direction to go?"

To be fair, he wasn't throwing the FIA under the bus entirely. He said the governing body and F1 are doing their best, but that "what was decided four or five years ago was wrong" and the sport must learn not to repeat it.

The Bigger Engine Drama

This isn't a one-off gripe. BBC reports the engines are fundamentally "energy starved," drivers say the cars behave in counter-intuitive ways, and the impact of driver skill has been reduced. Some key numbers from the report:

• Roughly 1,000bhp on full power, but only 540bhp when the batteries run out
• Cars slow at the end of straights to recharge
• Fernando Alonso has described fast corners as "charging stations for the car"

BBC also notes teams have been warning about these issues since at least 2023, and the 50-50 split wasn't questioned until just before this season.

So What Happens Now?

• The FIA has launched a "full review" of the situation.
• Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies said it's a reminder to make sure "complexity doesn't get out of hand," with talks planned with teams, the FIA and F1.
• The energy split is due to move to 60-40 in favour of combustion in two steps by 2028.
• Per BBC, work is already underway on a new engine formula. Likeliest option right now: a V8 turbo with around 15-25% electrical power, mostly used as push-to-pass.

And The Race Itself?

Don't forget there was an actual race. Sky Sports reports Verstappen won it, beating championship leader Kimi Antonelli, and called it a "really special and emotional moment" as Red Bull's first win of 2026 and the first for their own engine. We covered the on-track chaos separately, but the irony is hard to miss: the day Red Bull's engine project got its big win was also the day engine software nearly stopped the show.

The Tea ☕

• A wet-weather software bug stalled cars on the formation lap and delayed the Malaysia race by around 90 minutes.
• Sainz says F1's complicated rules need a "hard look," and the FIA has launched a full review.
• Simpler engines are already in the works, with a V8 turbo with limited electrical power the likeliest route.

So here's what we want to know: is F1's engine complexity a genuine problem or just growing pains? And would you trade the hybrid tech for simpler, louder V8s? Sound off below.

Sources: BBC Sport | Sky Sports