The FIA completes its probe into last month’s Malaysia race at Sepang, finding a software bug in the new 250kW wet‑weather power cap behind the widely seen safety‑car slowdown.

Single‑seater director Nikolas Tombazis says the fault triggers at low engine RPM in defined sectors, over‑cutting power and pushing the electric motors into a protective lock‑down.

With boost curtailed, drivers find throttles unresponsive in slow corners, which stacks the field. The FIA deploys an immediate patch before the restart, removing 250kW caps in affected sections.

The governing body will reuse this emergency map if similar wet conditions hit Singapore, ensuring cars maintain drivability through the slowest corners.

A permanent revision follows before the United States Grand Prix on October 25, using a two‑step strategy: first risk mitigation, then a durable correction to hybrid control logic.

The inquiry highlights limited wet‑weather running as a key factor. Practice in Belgium and the Netherlands never reproduced the extreme, safety‑car‑pace conditions that exposed the defect.

The issue is first reported during the early phases at the Bahrain Grand Prix, and is most visible at the Sepang International Circuit as cars crawl behind the safety car.

Alongside teams, the FIA commits to stronger pre‑event checks, including independent assessments and joint sign‑off with the standardized ECU supplier, and shares findings via its Sepang formation‑bug review.

Tombazis cautions that 2026 power units remain complex, so unforeseen interactions are possible, but insists the revised process reduces recurrence risk and safeguards reliability and safety in wet races.

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Daniel Miller

Daniel Miller reports on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with race-day analysis, team-radio highlights, and point-standings updates. He explains power-unit upgrades, aerodynamic developments, and driver rivalries in straightforward, SEO-friendly language for a global F1 audience.