The Bahrain GP starting procedure suspended after a chaotic formation lap
With the several cars experiencing problems during the formation lap in the rain, the starting procedure for the Bahrain Grand Prix was suspended on Sunday. This is the second setback before the start of the race competition.
After an initial postponement due to the heavy rain in Sepang, the Bahrain Grand Prix, held in Malaysia, suffered a second major setback on Sunday. During the formation lap, several cars experienced acceleration problems, notably Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari, creating huge chaos that saw the safety car lapped at the back of the field.
Under these circumstances, the starting procedure was suspended and all cars returned to the pits. The problem appears to stem from the software managing the internal combustion and electric motors, which, disrupted by the conditions and with the information sent by the cars, prevented power from reaching the wheels for some vehicles.
This new delay, the duration of which was not yet determined, could drastically alter the race competition, as the rain has stopped and the Sepang track appears to be drying quickly. This may lead to changes in tire choices and some setup adjustments. The only certainty is that, despite the problems experienced by some F1 cars that lost positions during the formation lap (where Isack Hadjar ran into the gravel before regaining his position), the race will restart with the original grid.
