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Motorsport.com

Race incident 2 sources

Software bug causes F1 Malaysia start chaos, red flag explained

First reported 2 hours ago · latest 2 hours ago

A software bug causes chaos during the formation laps of the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, forcing a red flag. Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton are among drivers affected by power loss.

Max Verstappen Lewis Hamilton

How the sources differ

The Race leads on the technical explanation of the software bug, while Motorsport.com provides more detail on the sequence of events involving Verstappen and Hamilton. Neither is an official FIA document, so the exact cause remains as reported by the outlets.

Recommended first read: Motorsport.com offers the most complete account, naming affected drivers and the red flag, with an image. The Race is also good but less detailed on the on-track impact.

Software bug causes F1 Malaysia start chaos, red flag explained

How the sources differ

Coverage

'Software bug' that triggered F1's Malaysia chaos explained

Explained: What was really going on with the FIA software bug causing F1 chaos in Malaysia