F1 Drivers Slam Power Unit Chaos After Wet Malaysia Restart

Formula 1 drivers delivered a scathing verdict on Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang, after a software fault triggered a wave of power losses on the grid and plunged the race into chaos before a wheel had properly turned. Heavy rain had already delayed the start by 40 minutes, but what followed exposed a deeper issue with the sport's current power unit regulations.

A Chaotic Start Behind the Safety Car

Pole-sitter Max Verstappen was the first to lose power as the field prepared to follow the safety car, with Lewis Hamilton grinding to a halt alongside him on the front row moments later. The FIA later explained the failure stemmed from "an unprecedented combination of low engine speed, low-grip conditions, wet-weather energy management settings and the Sepang circuit's sector configuration," forcing every car back to the pits for a software patch. The delay pushed the race start to more than 90 minutes behind schedule, frustrating drivers and fans who had turned out for Malaysia's first grand prix since 2017. live andar bahar game

Drivers Question the Complexity of Current Regulations

Reigning champion Lando Norris called the situation "horrible," arguing it proved the sport should strip back its reliance on electronic systems. Sergio Pérez labeled it "totally unacceptable," while Lance Stroll said it was "sad" to watch cars sidelined fixing software instead of racing in changeable conditions. Verstappen, who went on to win, pointed to the broader design of this year's power units - which draw nearly half their output from battery energy - as the root cause, describing the glitch as symptomatic of an overly complicated system.

Calls for the Sport to Reassess Its Direction

Carlos Sainz was among the most direct in his criticism, urging F1 and the FIA to "have a hard look at themselves" and questioning the regulatory path set years ago. George Russell, who later retired with a power unit issue, said the stop-start nature of the afternoon - red flags, extended safety car laps, and procedural delays - "didn't feel very F1" and shortchanged spectators. Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Antonelli even compared the slow-speed formation laps to a novelty go-kart exhibition, underlining how far the moment strayed from a top-tier grand prix.

What Comes Next

With the current power unit framework already a known point of contention among teams and manufacturers, Sunday's episode is likely to intensify scrutiny ahead of the next regulatory cycle. For now, the FIA faces pressure to explain how a software bug could disrupt an entire grid simultaneously - and to reassure drivers that Sepang's chaotic restart was an aberration, not a preview of races to come.