● Covered by 1 source · 1 reportLow impact1 neutral
F1 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia delayed by car software bug
Key points
- 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix relocated to Malaysia due to war.
- Heavy rain caused race delay and safety car deployment.
- Car software bug triggered 60-second motor shutdowns.
- Slow speeds and reduced hybrid power activated the bug.
Race Relocation and Weather Challenges
The 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix was held at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia, rather than Bahrain, due to an ongoing war with Iran. The circuit, known for its long straights and tropical weather, presented a tough physical challenge for drivers. Heavy rain arrived approximately 30 minutes before the scheduled start, leading to significant delays.
Tire Strategy and Formation Laps
Formula 1 cars use two types of treaded tires for wet conditions: full wets and intermediates. Full wet tires generate substantial spray and slow lap times, making them primarily useful behind a safety car. Intermediate tires are suitable for damp tracks but degrade quickly as the track dries. Organizers decided on two formation laps behind the safety car, intending for drivers to assess track conditions and for intermediate tires to clear water from the surface.
Software Bug Causes Chaos
During the formation laps, a software bug in several cars was triggered. Driving slowly behind the safety car with reduced hybrid power in extremely wet conditions led the cars' systems to interpret this as an attempt to break a hard-coded anti-cheating rule. This activated an automatic 60-second shutdown of their electric motors, causing multiple cars to slow down unexpectedly and requiring varying times to reboot their systems.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
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Reporting from
The 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix, held in Malaysia due to geopolitical reasons, experienced a significant delay because a software bug in several F1 cars triggered a 60-second electric motor shutdown during safety car laps. The bug was activated by slow speeds and reduced hybrid power in wet conditions, which the car systems interpreted as a rule violation.