FIA ANNOUNCES F1 SOFTWARE CHANGES AFTER SEPANG CHAOS

The FIA has confirmed further software changes following its investigation into the chaotic start to last weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.

The FIA will introduce further software changes to prevent similar issues in wet weather that happened in Sepang. Image: XPB Images

The governing body will reuse the emergency settings introduced at Sepang if similar wet weather is forecast for this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, before issuing another software update for the United States Grand Prix on October 25.

The decision follows the extraordinary scenes before Sunday’s race, when several cars experienced major power delivery problems while circulating behind the Safety Car.

Already delayed by 40 minutes because of heavy rain, the start procedure was abandoned after drivers struggled to accelerate from low speeds, with some coming to a complete stop on the circuit.

The FIA has now completed its investigation, identifying the circumstances that caused the software failure and left several drivers unable to accelerate normally.

“The review concluded that some cars running on low engine RPM in certain circuit sectors where a 250kW power reduction was applied experienced a loss of power beyond the original intent and that could not be recovered in those sectors,” the FIA said.

With turbocharger speeds falling as the cars slowed, the affected engines were producing less power, while restrictions on electrical deployment prevented the electric motors from compensating for the shortfall.

The investigation also examined how wet-weather energy restrictions could be managed differently in future, alongside data supplied by teams and power unit manufacturers.

The FIA said its engineers had identified the problem and issued revised software settings within five minutes of the start procedure being halted.

Further technical guidance followed 13 minutes later, with every team and power unit manufacturer completing the changes within half an hour of the initial release.

The changes lifted the relevant energy restrictions at Sepang and resolved the problem ahead of the eventual race start.

The FIA also addressed suggestions that the original software had been deployed without testing.

Although single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis acknowledged after the race that the particular conditions encountered at Sepang had not been replicated beforehand, the governing body said the system had been assessed before the event.

Teams and power unit manufacturers had undertaken simulations, with the software also used during the opening practice sessions at the Belgian and Dutch Grands Prix.

Neither session revealed the problem, which only emerged when the field travelled at exceptionally low speeds during the disrupted formation laps in Malaysia.

The review has now prompted a wider examination of how such software can be tested more effectively, particularly given the limited opportunities to recreate the conditions in which it must operate.

“The FIA, together with the teams and Power Unit Manufacturers (PUMs), will continue to strengthen Power Unit software testing and verification capabilities, enhancing the overall validation process through independent assessment and collaborative feedback, including input from the supplier of the standardised Electronics Control Unit (ECU),” it said.

The weather forecast for Singapore has a possibility of rain on Sunday for the race, with clear conditions expected across the other two days.

- Ben Waterworth

MAX VERSTAPPEN SURVIVED NAIL IN TYRE DURING CHAOTIC DURING CHAOTIC BAHRAIN GP IN MALAYSIA

Max Verstappen won the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia in commanding fashion. But things could have turned out very differently.

Max Verstappen cruised to a dominant victory in the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, but things could have come unstuck thanks to a rogue nail.

Nothing appeared capable of stopping the Red Bull driver throughout the weekend at the Sepang International Circuit, though a sizeable piece of metal made a decent attempt at it.

The race was thrown into disarray after a botched start procedure forced drivers to be called back into the pits, with software updates required to eradicate a "bug" that caused the farcicial scenes on the initial formation lap.

And as Verstappen trundled down the pit lane behind the safety car, he picked up a nail in one of his tyres.

Once he had brought the RB22 to a halt, Verstappen radioed his team to report the issue.

"There's a nail in my tyre," the four-time F1 drivers' champion said.

Race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase immediately asked whether it was the front-left.

"Front-left," the 72-time grand prix winner confirmed.

The mechanics waiting trackside with cooling equipment had already spotted the nail themselves, given it was hardly difficult to miss.

Rules working in Verstappen's favour

The mechanics waiting trackside with cooling equipment had already spotted the nail themselves, given it was hardly difficult to miss.

With the regulations allowing for tyre changes during a red-flag neutralisation, a potentially disastrous scenario was negated.

Verstappen opted for a fresh, nail-free set of intermediates, while some of his rivals, less fortunately, went straight onto slick tyres for the restart.

A further safety car period then gave Verstappen the chance to switch from intermediates to slicks along with everyone else, setting him up for this comfortable victory.

- RN365 Staff

FIA REVEALS WHY F1 CARS STOPPED IN RAIN AT BAHRAIN GP IN MALAYSIA

Numerous cars came to a standstill in Sepang – because they needed a software update

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Photo by: Joe Portlock / Getty Images

The FIA has given insight into why Formula 1 cars experienced technical issues ahead of Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.

The start of the Sepang race was delayed by 40 minutes due to a downpour; then a chaotic formation lap saw the likes front-row starters Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton suffer from a glitch which rendered throttle input ineffective, with numerous cars coming to a standstill. The red flag was waved.

The situation was branded “unacceptable” by Sergio Perez; Lando Norris described it as “just horrible” and evidence that “we shouldn't have any of that stuff, the electronic side”, given this was linked to Formula 1’s new machinery, which features 47% electrical power.

FIA single-seater Nikolas Tombazis has now explained that, given F1 had never had competitive running in actual wet conditions this season, it was caught out by the power unit’s reaction to cars driving extremely slowly at that time. A software update therefore had to be carried out, hence a 53-minute delay to get the race restarted.

“We didn't manage to test the software as extensively as we would have liked, because there's been very little wet running this year, and there was a bit of a combination of circumstances which caused this bug to kick in,” Tombazis said.

“Basically, the formation lap, some cars went very slowly, almost came to a standstill. There was a bit of a concertina effect between cars, and some cars almost stopped completely. And that bug prevented the power to be redeployed and for the cars to start again. I think if we had had a bit more testing, we probably would have managed to catch it in time and not to have such a situation.”

Tombazis praised the FIA’s reaction when it came to fixing the issue as swiftly as possible.

“Once the problem happened, our guys realised very quickly what was happening and had to work under a lot of time pressure for an update to the software, which was issued to the teams, and the teams had to install it on their cars,” he added.

“So all of that took about 20 minutes. It may have felt like five hours for spectators waiting [for] a race and for everybody else, which is understandable, and we are sorry about that. But I think it was quite a fast reaction given the problem.”

Not everyone was so upset about some cars running into trouble, with eighth-placed Fernando Alonso joking at the end of an unusually good day for Aston Martin-Honda: “I had 50% DNFs this year, they never stopped the race for us.”

- Ben Vinel & Ronald Vording

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WHY IS MALAYSIA HOSTING THE F1 BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX?

Round 16 takes place at the Sepang circuit in Kuala Lumpur, returning to the calendar after a nine-year absence

Why is Malaysia hosting the F1 Bahrain Grand Prix?
Malaysia hosts the Bahrain Grand Prix in a one-off event this weekend

Getty

Formula 1 returns to a fan-favourite circuit this weekend as the Sepang circuit in Malaysia hosts the Bahrain Grand Prix in a one-off event.

George Russell got his season back on track with a first victory in three months at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix last time out, pipping Max Verstappen to the line to narrow the deficit on championship leader and Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli to 66 points.

Antonelli, who crashed out of qualifying, recovered from the back of the grid to finish fifth while Isack Hadjar joined Verstappen on the podium on a positive day for Red Bull. However, it was a tricky day for McLaren and Ferrari, who both struggled for form and pace.

As for this weekend, Bahrain’s original grand prix date in April was cancelled due to the war in the Middle East. The Gulf country have, however, opted to pay the hosting fees to have their name attached to Sepang’s return to the calendar for the first time in nine years this weekend.

Why is Malaysia hosting the Bahrain Grand Prix?

Organisers of the Bahrain Grand Prix were desperate to hold their event this season – even if racing at the Sakhir circuit in Bahrain proved to be an unfathomable option.

The race in April, alongside the grand prix in Saudi Arabia, was cancelled due to unrest in the region following the start of the US-Iran war at the end of February. With the war still ongoing, the staging of season-concluding races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi remains doubtful.

Yet the Sepang circuit on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur became a viable option over the summer period.

The 3.4-mile circuit hosted a Formula 1 grand prix from 1999 to 2017 before withdrawing from the sport when they couldn’t match the host fees required.

Yet the racetrack is still used for other motorsport events, such as MotoGP, and its proximity to Singapore (hosting a race on 11 October) meant hosting an event in Malaysia was considered a feasible option.

F1 was always keen to add to the 22-race calendar given the two cancelled races in April and, as such, a compromise was reached whereby the race will be held in Malaysia but under the title of the ‘Bahrain Grand Prix’. Bahraini organisers will pay the hosting fees needed to stage the event, while it offers a financial boost to the Malaysian venue amid ticket and hospitality sales.

Malaysia last hosted an F1 race in 2017 (Getty)

When is the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia?

Times BST

Friday 2 October

• Free practice 1: 5:30am

• Free practice 2: 9am

Saturday 3 October

• Free practice 3: 5:30am

• Qualifying: 9am

Saturday 4 October

• Race: 8am

How can I watch it online and on TV?

The Bahrain Grand Prix in 7Malaysia will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom. Sky’s coverage of Sunday’s race starts at 6:30am (BST).

Sky Sports subscribers can watch all the action from Kuala Lumpur on the Sky Go app. If you’re not a Sky customer, you can grab a NOWTV Day Pass here to watch without a subscription.

In the United States, every practice, qualifying and race session is streamed on Apple TV this year. You can stream Apple TV for FREE, with Apple TV’s seven-day free trial.

- Kieran Jackson

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DUCATI FACING '50/50' DILEMA ON KEY TWO-YEAR MOTOGP DECISION

Ducati faces a major question mark about its MotoGP engine, with factory riders Pecco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez undecided on which spec is more favourable.

Both Bagnaia and Marquez had crashes during the second day of the Sepang test - Bagnaia's a slow one at the final corner, Marquez's a more violent one (but also with no major repercussions) at the Turn 9 left-hander - but the bigger takeaway from their day was work comparing the available engine specs. These, in effect, are the newer 'GP25' version of the engine and the older 'GP24' unit.

The two riders say they are very aligned in their feedback - Bagnaia described this as being "incredible" and something he had never had to this extent with any other team-mate - but this has not yet given them a conclusive answer.

It is doubly complicated for Marquez, who is new to both engines as he campaigned an older-spec Ducati last year.

And it is a decision that, even more than any other year, cannot be taken lightly by Ducati because not only will it have to spend the full season with the chosen engine spec under the current homologation rules, but the 2026 engine freeze before a switch to new regulations in 2027 effectively makes it a two-year decision.

This isn't the case for the likes of Yamaha and Honda, MotoGP's 'Rank D' manufacturers and thus not bound by the freeze, but the idea of Ducati coming anywhere near 'Rank D' right now is a mathematical absurdity, so whichever engine spec will be raced in the Thailand season opener will be used for the next 40-plus rounds, too.

"We need to be super sure which is the direction," Marquez told MotoGP.com.

"We know that the '24 package is competitive. We need to be super sure - we need to see a clear positive aspect in the '25 - because when you homologate the engine it will be for two years. We need to understand well."

The engine is not the only aspect of the bike being worked on and evaluated - there's also a chassis and a new aero fairing that has earned a good review from Bagnaia, albeit with the caveat that he would like to see a 'hybrid' version combining the elements from this one and last year's version.

But both riders have made it clear that the engine is the most important part and the utmost priority given just four days of testing remain.

The pros and cons

"The power delivery is continuing to give a lot of great things to us," said Bagnaia of the 2025-spec engine. "It's very smooth, and we like that a lot. It's the first time that a new engine is that smooth in terms of acceleration, and that's great.

"But even if we have closed a bit the gap in terms of braking, it's still a bit far from the GP24. For tomorrow we have to close that gap, and try to understand in which way to do it."

Bagnaia went as far as to assess the decision as being "at the moment 50/50".

"Because the thing is... the GP24 is a fantastic base. And we all think that it still has some margin.

"The GP25 is already very fast and very good on the straight and acceleration - you can only do a top speed if the bike is exiting well from the corners, and this is the case, it's very smooth and you can manage a lot with the throttle and the acceleration.

"But in braking the GP24 was out of this world. We were doing something incredible on braking. And this is something difficult to reach at the moment with the '25 even if we close the gap."

On headline times, the GP24s have been a clear step ahead of the newer Ducatis so far at Sepang - but this isn't necessarily reflective of the actual performance levels.

However, according to Bagnaia, the braking performance where the 2024 engine excels is just more of a differentiator than the ride-height-device-aided acceleration, at least at Sepang.

"In this moment what we are gaining on acceleration is a bit less compared to what we are losing on braking."

- Valentin Khorounzhiy

FRANCESCO BAGNAIA HAILS MALAYSIAN MOTOGP POLE AFTER 'INCREDIBLE' JORGE MARTIN BATTLE

“It’s incredible what we did today”

Francesco Bagnaia, Jorge Martin, qualifying, 2024 Malaysian MotoGP

MotoGP title rivals Francesco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin spectacularly slugged it out for pole position at the Malaysian Grand Prix.

Both smashed the Sepang lap record as they surged almost one second clear of the field.

Martin landed what looked like a knockout blow with a new official lap record on his first run, pitting with a half-second advantage over Bagnaia.

But with the pressure on, practice leader Bagnaia responded magnificently on his final run, beating Martin's record time by 0.216s!

Delight in the factory Ducati pits was matched by shock in the Pramac garage, but Martin rolled up his sleeves and was equal to Bagnaia through the opening sectors…

However, the title leader was forced to lift his GP24 when the front slid away at Turn 14, ending an epic pole contest.

“It’s incredible what we did today because already the lap time of Jorge was incredible,” said Bagnaia, before underlining the psychological importance of defeating Martin in qualifying.

“Being able to drop this lap time was also super important for the mental side because I know how difficult it is when you are doing your maximum and your opponent is faster.

“So it was very important and I’m very proud of my team because we did a very good again. Super happy.”

Martin, who starts this afternoon’s Sprint race 17 points ahead of Bagnaia, admitted: 

“For sure I thought [my first lap] was enough, but Pecco was incredible today.

“It is what it is. I tried my best. I think the first row was the target so I’m happy.

“The race will be tough, both of us have a really good pace so it will be important to understand where to be stronger.”

Martin can wrap up the title one round early if he holds a 38-point lead on Sunday evening.

A maximum of 12 points are available in the Sprint and 25 in the Grand Prix this weekend.

Meanwhile, Alex Marquez was a commendable, if distant, third on the grid.

“I closed my eyes and pushed in every corner at the limit!” he smiled. “I tried my best and I love this place. We made a really good lap, also in FP2 we were not bad for race pace.”

The Gresini rider paid tribute to the ‘magnificent’ performance of the duo ahead as he ruled out repeating last year’s Sprint victory.

“Looking forward to the race but we are not like last year, we don’t have the chance to win because these two are super magnificent," Marquez said.

“When you are fighting for the title you have like another step more [mentally]. So congrats to Pecco and Martin.

“But we are happy to be here after some difficult races.”

Martin’s team-mate Franco Morbidelli, Alex’s team-mate Marc Marquez and Bagnaia’s team-mate Enea Bastianini (who fell) will form row two of the grid.

KTM's Jack Miller was the top non-Ducati rider in seventh followed by the Yamahas of Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins, who are enjoying their most competitive team performance of the season.

Brad Binder (KTM), Johann Zarco (LCR Honda) and Maverick Vinales (Aprilia) completed the Qualifying 2 riders.

Zarco turned heads by leaping to the top of Qualifying 1 on his final lap, pushing Pedro Acosta out of Qualifying 2 in the process.

Meanwhile, Andrea Iannone enjoyed the best session of his MotoGP comeback with 17th on the grid.

"It wasn't an easy qualifying, but I'm happy," Iannone said. "On a physical level, with the heat, the humidity and considering how these bikes are physical in braking, it's complicated but I’m having fun. 

"It's a shame we had so little time, because we have the potential to be competitive, we're only 0.8 from the first GP23. 

"It will be my first time in the Sprint, I will have to understand how to manage myself, I don't know exactly what to expect, especially in the slipstream with all these wings."

- Peter McLaren

ALEX MARQUEZ | #TISSOTSPRINT WINNER | SEPANG