Lewis Hamilton explains ‘Lego race’ replay farce before ‘big panic’ set in

Lewis Hamilton compared the chaotic formation lap at the Sepang International Circuit to a "Lego race" after an engine software bug caused cars to crawl and lose power. Following weather delays, pole-sitter Max Verstappen slowed drastically, triggering an issue that left Hamilton's Ferrari halted on the start-finish straight. Hamilton explained that a "big panic" set in as he was forced to turn off and restart his engine on track.

FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis confirmed that a software bug caused the disruption, requiring an update during another extended delay. Once restarted, Verstappen went on to win the race ahead of Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli in second and Hamilton in third. The drivers later reflected on the incident, with Verstappen noting the complications of modern engines and hoping lessons were learned.