Williams driver Carlos Sainz stated that Formula 1 needs to evaluate itself closely following unprecedented software bugs that affected the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. The disruption saw drivers including Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton lose power prior to the race start. Mercedes better ‘watch out – Verstappen ‘imperious’ in Bahrain GP win.
A wet-weather engine map software bug caused multiple cars to struggle off the line during formation laps. Race officials were forced to abandon the start, issue new software code, and delay the start by an hour and a half. And a series of highly complex restrictions have been introduced relating to the operations of the engine to try to alleviate some of the issues that have arisen.
Sainz, who serves as a director for the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, criticized the complexity of the current regulations for drivers, teams, and manufacturers. While acknowledging that the FIA and F1 are doing their best, he argued that decisions made several years ago were mistaken and require learning. But clearly what was decided four or five years ago was wrong. The batteries are fully deploying and recharging several times a lap, because of the way the regulations have been arranged.
Governing body the FIA has initiated a full review of the situation. The issue emerged due to a lack of wet-weather running during the year, which meant the triggering circumstances had not previously occurred. We need to learn as a sport not to make those mistakes again.
Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies emphasized the importance of keeping system complexity under control to protect against similar incidents moving forward. The discussion coincides with broader debates regarding new engine regulations featuring a nearly 50-50 split between internal combustion and electrical power. According to red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies, On Monday: “It’s a good reminder for all of us that we should probably make sure that complexity doesn’t get out of hand and that we keep things as under control as possible.
These power units run energy-starved, delivering around 1,000bhp at full power but dropping to 540bhp when batteries deplete. The intricate energy recovery rules include reducing total electrical power from 350kW to 250kW in wet conditions, which triggered the Malaysia bug. Which has led to drivers feeling the cars behave in a counter-intuitive way, and have reduced the impact of driver skill, the engines are fundamentally energy starved.
While the 50-50 split successfully attracted manufacturers like Audi and Ford while retaining Honda, teams have warned about energy management challenges since 2023. The fundamental hurdle remains the insufficient means to recover enough energy to maintain full engine power for extended periods.
Adjustments are underway, including rules altering recovery amounts based on circuit energy demands. The energy split is scheduled to transition to 60-40 in favor of internal combustion by 2028 across two steps.
Furthermore, F1 leadership and engine suppliers are developing a new engine formula designed to eliminate energy starvation entirely. Although FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem initially advocated for naturally aspirated V8s without hybrids, the leading proposal is now a turbo V8 featuring 15% to 25% electrical power utilized mainly as a push-to-pass system.
