A software glitch caused a lengthy interruption: Verstappen and Hamilton joke about laptops and connections – but take the problem seriously
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen reacted with humour to the Formula 1 software glitch at the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. When asked about the technical problems during the formation lap, he said: “It was like a Lego race [in Silverstone]. We didn’t understand what was going on at all.”
This is because Verstappen and other Formula 1 drivers suddenly found themselves with almost no propulsion: “It was like driving at about 35 km/h, uphill, and actually slowing down even further,” explained Verstappen.
According to Verstappen, something like this can happen with the current power units. “If the speed and revs drop too far for any reason, the engine simply chokes.”
“Normally, it lasts a second or two, then the power comes back. I probably experienced that a few times at the start of the year too, when I had a bad start. But for some reason, it didn’t work in the first software version.”
Lewis Hamilton has never experienced anything like this before
The situation also baffled Formula 1’s record winner, Lewis Hamilton: “I had to stop on the track, switch off the car and the engine, and then restart it. I’ve never done that before.”
It was only after corrected software had been uploaded to the cars that the problem was resolved. “Then, thankfully, it was a bit better,” said Verstappen. “Otherwise, I’d probably have stalled at the start as well.”
But the cost was high: an hour passed between the interruption and the actual start of the race. There was a lot of criticism of the long delay; after all, Formula 1 is regarded as the ‘premier class’ of motorsport. The fact that some teams were ready sooner than others caused further irritation.
Verstappen jokes about Oracle connection
Hamilton commented: “It was because the software needed updating, and then it had to be loaded onto the car. I reckon some people had faster laptops than others.”
Verstappen chimed in, saying: “We’re partners with Oracle, so we have a very, very fast connection. That’s why we stood there and waited for half an hour. Perhaps some of the others had a slightly slower connection.”
But despite all the jokes about the situation, Verstappen considered the software incident to be a fundamentally serious matter: “What else is there to say? Obviously, you don’t want something like that happening in this sport.” Hamilton added: “I hope they’ve learnt their lesson.”
