“Horrible, totally unacceptable” – Powerless F1 drivers frustrated by Bahrain F1 software glitch

October 4, 2026

Leading F1 drivers are despairing at power unit software glitches that derailed the start of the Bahrain GP in Malaysia, with Lando Norris calling the electronic glitches “horrible” and further proof that F1 should move away from hybrids.

The start at a wet Sepang circuit was aborted after a large number of cars suffered crippling software issues. With the event being the first wet weather race contested by the 2026 generation of cars, a bug in the software when drivers were driving at very low speeds, triggered by the power unit controller’s wet weather mode, left drivers stuck into idle mode at various points of the two planned formation laps.

With several cars stuck into that idle loop, the FIA had to rapidly code and deliver a software patch for all 11 teams to install during the following red flag stoppage, lifting the usual wet weather power reduction in the affected zones. It took a 50-minute delay for the race to start, which was a major blemish for F1 ahead of what was otherwise an entertaining, mixed-weather race.

With drivers already harbouring misgivings on F1 2026’s battery-dominated racing and the overbearing electronics that are in charge, the incident did little to further endear them to the current formula.

“It’s just horrible. I don’t know, it just proves that we shouldn’t have any of that stuff, the electronic side,” Norris said, one of the few Mercedes-powered drivers to suffer the glitch.

“I’ve never seen an F1 race delayed by a bug. That was a new one,” Piastri said mockingly. “I got stuck for about a second. When the turbo doesn’t work on these things, you might as well push the car instead of using an engine. It was quite bizarre. It wasn’t a great look, but I think it would be unfair to point the finger before there’s an explanation.”

Lando Norris, McLaren

Photo by: Andy Hone/ LAT Images via Getty Images

Cadillac’s Sergio Perez, who drove one of several Ferrari-powered cars that were affected, was less kind. “It felt like you were in a rental kart and you ran out of time,” the Mexican explained. “You were putting your foot down and accelerating and nothing was coming.

“I’m sure we will learn from it as a sport. But what happened today is totally unacceptable for the sport.”

Haas driver Oliver Bearman said it was “scary” for his throttle pedal being cut off by something beyond his control. “I’ve never seen anything like that. I was shocked,” he said. “I didn’t even know that the FIA could control our throttle pedal. That was quite scary, actually. My throttle pedal stopped working, but it looks like everybody stopped working as well. The engine was just idling.”

Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso said there was now “too much technology” involved in the series and felt “the spectators don’t really appreciate it” either. Meanwhile, race winner Max Verstappen, whose slow getaway helped trigger the bug, likened the formation lap chaos to the Lego go-kart race in Silverstone.

“That’s the problem that we have,” the Dutchman said. “These engines are so complicated and a lot of software is implemented. I triggered it first and then I looked in my mirror and I was like: ‘Wait, are they waiting for me or what’s going on…?’

“It was like the Lego race, the same speed. At some point we were five-wide on the straight because we couldn’t understand what was going on. Then we did a lap and then I saw eight other cars crawling still.

“What can you say? I mean, that’s not what you want for the sport, right?”