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F1 needs to have hard look at itself
Confirmed
In Short: Williams driver Carlos Sainz calls for Formula 1 to reassess itself following power issues that affected several cars during the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Williams driver Carlos Sainz has called for Formula 1 to reassess its regulations following the software glitches that affected several cars during the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.
The glitches caused cars to lose power before the start of the race, with Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton among those impacted.
Sainz stated, “Formula 1 needs to have a hard look at itself in the wake of unprecedented software glitches that affected Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.”
The FIA, the governing body of motorsports, has launched a full review of the situation.
The review will examine the combination of low engine speed, low-grip conditions, wet-weather energy management settings, and the circuit's sector configuration that led to the unintended loss of power for multiple cars.
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton likened the embarrassing scenes to the Lego race ahead of the British Grand Prix in July, while Mercedes’ George Russell said it “didn’t feel very F1.”
Hamilton added, “I would have been disappointed if I was in the stands and watching that unfold.”
What's confirmed
- "But clearly what was decided four or five years ago was wrong. We need to learn as a sport not to make those mistakes again."
What's still developing
- One of the idiosyncrasies of the rules is that the cars slow down at the end of straights to recharge batteries, and many challenging fast corners have been neutered because they are being used as what two-time champion Fernando Alonso has described as "charging stations for the car".
- "And I'm sure we'll have discussions with the teams, with the FIA and with F1 to see how we can protect ourselves from those situations moving forward and make sure we can keep the complexity of the cars and the systems under control."