Hamilton & Verstappen bemused after glitch turns F1 into ‘Lego race’

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen likened a pre-race software bug at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia to a "Lego race" after multiple cars crawled during wet formation laps. A glitch in mandatory FIA power-deployment software, triggered by wet conditions and low grip, caused several cars to stall or lose power following a tropical downpour that delayed the start. Hamilton finished third after restarting his car on track, while Verstappen took a dominant victory.

Governing body FIA confirmed a full investigation into the glitch, with single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis stating the software had not been tested in those exact conditions. Officials reset the grid to the original order before the restart. Elsewhere in the race, Kimi Antonelli finished second and extended his championship lead to 84 points over Mercedes teammate George Russell, who retired late with an engine failure.