The FIA will introduce further changes to its engine software following the farcical scenes at last weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.
The motorsport governing body also disputed claims its software was not adequately tested before the stoppages which struck multiple cars in Sepang.Several Red Bull-Ford, Ferrari and Audi-powered cars slowed drastically during the formation lap before the start of Sunday’s race. Race control abandoned its attempt to start the race and the FIA made changes to its software in order for the start to proceed.
The FIA confirmed the fault occured due to its software which restricts how much power a driver may use at different points around the lap. The requirement is a feature of the new power unit regulations introduced for 2026.
No further changes are planned for this weekend’s round in Singapore. Teams have only a single, hour-long practice session this weekend as it is a sprint event. The FIA intends to make further revisions to its software ahead of the following round in Austin.
“The configuration established for the Sepang event will be reinstated for the Singapore Grand Prix should similar weather conditions be expected. Additionally, a further update to the wet weather software will be released for the United States Grand Prix on October 25.”
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The governing body denied claims the software was not adequately tested prior to last weekend’s race, which was the 16th round of the season.
“The FIA would like to address comments suggesting that the software had not been tested prior to its deployment. Before implementation, teams and Power Unit manufacturers conducted simulation exercises to validate the software package, which was subsequently tested in full-scale running during Free Practice 1 sessions at both the Belgian Grand Prix and the Dutch Grand Prix.”
FIA statement on Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia start failures
FIA concludes investigation into Bahrain GP in Malaysia formation lap “software bug”
The FIA has completed a thorough review of the circumstances which necessitated the release of a Power Unit software configurations upgrade ahead of the race start of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.
The review focused on these key areas:
The precise cause of the loss of power experienced by a number of cars on the formation lap
Measures that can be introduced to mitigate a recurrence of the same issues
The future management of wet-weather Power Unit settings (energy limit restraints)
Learnings from the data from individual team and Power Unit manufacturers
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.As a result, the configuration established for the Sepang event will be reinstated for the Singapore Grand Prix should similar weather conditions be expected. Additionally, a further update to the wet weather software will be released for the United States Grand Prix on October 25.
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The review also recommended that measures would be implemented for testing of the software, recognising that opportunities for testing are limited, to make it robust as possible. 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).
The FIA would like to address comments suggesting that the software had not been tested prior to its deployment. Before implementation, teams and Power Unit manufacturers conducted simulation exercises to validate the software package, which was subsequently tested in full-scale running during Free Practice 1 sessions at both the Belgian Grand Prix and the Dutch Grand Prix.
On Sunday, the sequence of software installation and integration was as follows:
15:45: The race start procedure was suspended following two formation laps after a number of cars experienced power loss issues.
15:50: Within five minutes of the suspension the FIA technical team had identified the cause of the issue and released an updated Power Unit software configurations designed to address the problem.
16:03: Eighteen minutes after the suspension the FIA provided teams with further technical guidance and clarifications in response to implementation, installation and operation of the revised software configurations.
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16:20: Teams and Power Unit manufacturers then completed the integration process, with all competitors ready to start the race approximately 20 minutes later.
16:22: The 10-minutes signal to start the race was issued.
16:33: Cars left the pit lane for the race start procedure.
The FIA would like to recognise and thank all stakeholders amongst the teams, Power Unit manufacturers and the FIA technical team for their diligence and responsiveness during the interruption. Their collective efforts enabled the issue to be identified, addressed and resolved, allowing the race to proceed safely.