Formation Lap Chaos and Power Failures
The chaos during the race start procedures at the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia continues to create debate. Following a 40-minute delay due to rain, the drivers were sent out to complete two laps behind the safety car before heading to the grid.
Yet a number of cars suffered a loss of power, with some stopping on the track and having to be wheeled behind the barriers on the start-finish line. Race control threw the red flag which saw some cars return to the pit lane ahead of the safety car. Some cars completed just one lap returning to pit lane ahead of the safety car which was bizarre to see.
Hybrid Complexities and Low Power Modes
Red Bull realised quickly what was happening and informed their drivers to keep the engine revs up through the slower corners. The FIA-mandated engine mapping which prevents teams from using a form of traction control failed to consider the scenario where cars were following the safety car on a wet circuit at very low speeds.
For the drivers who failed to keep their revs up, the turbos spooled down, the battery packs were emptied, and the drivers were left with just their internal combustion engines. As Lewis Hamilton declared, “I’m pushing the throttle and nothing is happening.” The car had gone into low power mode as Hamilton was being penalised for his engine operating outside the accepted normal procedures.
Already there have been tens of thousands of words written about these stupid 2026 F1 power unit regulations, and once again the drivers were furious over the highly complex new engines which do not operate in accordance with normal driving inputs.
Bypassing Rule 57.3
Yet in the melee across the next forty minutes following the race start procedure suspension, the FIA decided to breach its own rules which govern the “resumption procedure following a race start suspension.”
That specific wording from Article 57.3 clearly states: “All F1 cars that entered the pit lane behind the safety car when the start procedure was suspended will be arranged in the order that they entered the pit lane, with cars that were penalised to start from the pit lane to start from the back.”
It took some eighteen minutes after the red flag was thrown for race control to confirm the order of the cars for the restart. And it would be the original order as set during qualifying and after penalties. A number of drivers had stopped on track, and Lewis Hamilton, who had qualified in P2, was last to enter the pit lane.
Fernando Alonso’s Frustration
Conversely, most of the field managed the difficult situation perfectly well and certain drivers like Fernando Alonso had made up several positions. Despite a season-best finish of eighth, the double world champion was clearly irritated by the FIA’s decision to ignore their own regulations.
“I think I had 50% DNF this year. They [the FIA] never stopped the race for us.” When asked if the return to the original starting order was unfair, the Spaniard was adamant. “100%. I mean, this is motor racing… if it’s a safety concern, I get it. If there are five cars in the middle of the road or whatever, we have to stop the race and we need to see what’s going on.
“But I think they were out of the race. They were out, even on the [start/finish pit] wall. They [the marshals] had to push it two metres, the marshals, and retire the car – like we do in 50% of the races.”
Another FIA regulation states the cars must make their way to the grid unaided by the marshals, so if any driver finds themselves stricken – they are out of the race before it begins. This happened at round one in Melbourne, when Oscar Piastri was out of the race on the formation lap due to a software glitch with his Mercedes PU which gave him an unexpected power surge.
When pressed on for his thoughts when he saw several drivers stopped on track, Alonso replied: “The same thing that goes through their mind when they see the Aston Martin stop, I guess. Sad on one side because they have a problem, good because you have one car less in the race.”
Software Glitches and Expert Debate
The FIA later explained the reason for the chaos being due to software parameters dictated by the FIA. During the forty-minute delay after the failed start, race control sent new parameters to the teams to prevent the PUs shutting down again.
F1 car designer Gary Anderson argues this scenario was different from the DNFs Fernando Alonso had experienced. “The key difference to Alonso’s DNFs – he’s retired from 37.5% of grands prix this year – is that they have all been down to Aston Martin Honda’s own reliability issues. The software glitch issue that struck the likes of Hamilton was an issue with FIA-supplied software, outside of the team or drivers’ control.”
Whether Gary is a mouthpiece for the FIA or not, following their worst day in recent years, we just don’t know. But the argument doesn’t stack up because most of the drivers coped with the formation laps behind the safety car. It’s not as if the FIA pressed the red button which shut down the entire field.
In reality, it was certain teams and drivers failing to understand how the current PU regulations work which led to their demise. Further, the software is not issued by the FIA; in fact, the teams’ engineers write the code to the specification of the FIA regulations providing for torque control.
All in all, this was a bad look for Formula One, and at the heart of the farcical hour and forty minutes before the race finally started was the FIA. Why they failed to follow their own regulations regarding suspended start procedures is anyone’s guess? But Alonso is right to be miffed.
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A.J. Hunt is Senior Editor at TJ13, where Andrew oversees editorial standards and contributes to the site’s Formula 1 coverage. A career journalist with experience in both print and digital sports media, Andrew trained in investigative journalism and has written for a range of European sports outlets.
At TJ13, Andrew plays a central role in shaping the site’s output, working across breaking news, analysis, and long-form features. Andrew’s responsibilities include fact-checking, refining editorial structure, and ensuring consistency in reporting across a fast-moving news cycle.
Andrew’s work focuses particularly on the intersection of Formula 1 politics, regulation, and team strategy. Andrew closely follows developments involving the FIA, team leadership, and driver market dynamics, helping to provide context behind the sport’s biggest stories.
With experience covering multiple seasons of Formula 1’s modern hybrid era, Andrew has developed a detailed understanding of how regulatory changes and competitive shifts influence the grid. Andrew’s editorial approach prioritises clarity and context, aiming to help readers navigate complex developments within the sport.
In addition to editorial duties, Andrew is particularly interested in how media narratives shape fan perception of Formula 1, and how reporting can balance speed with accuracy in an increasingly digital news environment.
