F1 Bahrain GP in Malaysia descends into chaos as car trouble prompts red flag

The Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia descended into chaos as a series of power unit gremlins forced a red flag. Torrential rain had just begun to fall in the Malaysian Sepang circuit, setting the stage for the first-ever wet race under the 2026 regulations. Prior to the start, several cars experienced technical difficulties during formation laps behind the safety car.

Max Verstappen, who initially won the pole position, reported a lack of acceleration in his Red Bull. Shortly thereafter, Lewis Hamilton, sitting in second place, encountered the same issue on his Ferrari, crawling along during the first formation lap as the rest of the field sped past. One lap later, Hamilton managed to overcome the problem and rejoin the race.

However, the situation quickly escalated as more vehicles, including Audi's Gabriel Bortoleto, started to struggle with similar power unit gremlins. In response, race control suspended the start procedure and threw a red flag, signaling an immediate halt to the race.