Carlos Sainz sends message to FIA after Sprint Qualifying mishap

Just days after a controversial software issue in Malaysia, another tech-related problem created chaos during the final Sprint Qualifying session of the 2026 F1 season in Singapore. Two bugs emerged after a red flag in Session 1 (SQ1). The first glitch was with the timing towers, causing some drivers' lap times to not be registered at the end of the session.

However, this was swiftly resolved when the FIA corrected the timing sheets before Session 2 (SQ2). The second issue was more problematic, as the FIA enabled "overtake mode" for only 27 seconds at the end of the session, granting some drivers additional energy while others did not. Following the session, Carlos Sainz, driving for Atlassian Williams, expressed his disappointment with the situation.

Sainz highlighted that the 2026 regulations have generated controversy since their debut in Australia, with numerous issues arising in the past seven days. He criticized the FIA for not implementing sporting equity, as half of the cars were given a half-second quicker engine than the other half during SQ1. Sainz questioned the inconsistency in the FIA's decision-making, noting that it seemed to vary depending on which drivers were eliminated in Qualifying 1 (Q1).

The Williams driver argued that the result of SQ1 was not in line with the sporting fairness Formula 1 strives for, and he did not believe it warranted a protest since the usual suspects were eliminated. Sainz acknowledged that a stronger reaction might have been triggered if a front-runner were affected, but ultimately, this situation is one the FIA should work to avoid in the future as the 2026 regulations become more understood. However, these incidents do not paint a positive picture for the new era of Formula 1.