{
  "id": 12037652,
  "title": "FIA ikrar siasat kekecohan permulaan GP Bahrain",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/fia-ikrar-siasat-kekecohan-permulaan-gp-bahrain-12037652",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-05T00:13:08.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/bahasa/tempatan/2026/10/05/fia-ikrar-siasat-kekecohan-permulaan-gp-bahrain"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Heavy rain halted the Bahrain Grand Prix at the International Circuit Sepang by over 90 minutes yesterday, forcing many teams to make difficult tire selection decisions. (Image: Bernama) SEPTANG: Formula One's governing body, the FIA, announced they would conduct a full investigation into the delayed Grand Prix due to the rain, with Lewis Hamilton describing it as a \"Lego race\" after several cars experienced technical issues. Max Verstappen faced adversity to secure his first win of the year, while Kimi Antonelli took second place, and Hamilton completed a remarkable comeback from 18th place to finish in the last podium spot. George Russell, who led the race in 3rd place, had to end the race early due to engine problems, nearly burying his hopes of winning the world championship. Nevertheless, the race yesterday felt embarrassing and had never happened before when new-season tires, which faced heavy criticism, failed to function properly on the Sepang International Circuit (SIC). The race initially started 40 minutes late following heavy rain. FIA then had to cancel the start of the race when several drivers, including Verstappen and Hamilton, faced technical problems while navigating the 50-50 power split between the combustion engine and battery, leading to their tires' failure. Verstappen, who started at the main grid, became the first driver to complain about his tire not providing traction. The gradual movement then affected other drivers, with Hamilton also experiencing issues with his Ferrari tire. \"I press the gas pedal, but nothing happens,\" Hamilton said before stopping his tire at the side of the track. Other drivers also struggled to keep their engines running in the first competitive action on the wet track for the relevant tire generation. Verstappen, who had previously threatened to leave the sport due to his dislike for the new regulations, eventually managed to increase his speed. He laughed and shook his head at several tires lying at the side of the track. \"You can see that,\" he said on the radio. All tires eventually returned to the pit lane in a slow manner, with 53 minutes passing before the race officials gave the green light to start the race again. No explanation was given for the lengthy delay, but it later turned out that new software needed to be downloaded to the tires. Two laps were conducted behind the safety car before the race started from the starting grid. Verstappen received the race flag with a 2.3-second lead over Antonelli. The engine, which is very complex and requires many parts, Verstappen explained that the setback has placed the controversial regulation back in the spotlight. \"I was there first, then I looked in the mirror and thought, 'Wait, are they waiting for me?'\" Hamilton, sitting next to Verstappen after the race, said: \"It's like a Lego race (before the British Grand Prix).\" Verstappen added: \"What can you say? This is not what you want for this sport.\" Hamilton replied: \"I had to stop on the track, turn off the tire, and restart it. I have never done that before. I hope there is a lesson to be learned.\" The FIA in a statement yesterday explained: When drafting the formation lap, an extraordinary combination of low engine speed, low tire pressure, power management settings when the weather was wet, and SIC sector configuration caused power loss in several tires, which was not intentional. Following this, the FIA Technical Department revoked the power limit in the troubled sector through updated software distributed to all teams when the race was delayed due to heavy rain, allowing teams to make necessary changes to their power unit before the race began. This issue was not detected by the FIA or the teams during testing or the practice sessions leading to the start grid. The FIA, along with the teams and power unit manufacturers, will conduct a comprehensive review of the problem. The failure to finish the race left Russell 84 points behind his closest competitor with only seven races remaining and a maximum of 183 points available. Throughout the day, the delay felt painful with the red flag and laps behind the safety car never ending. It did not feel like a normal F1 today. I am also sure that I would be disappointed if I were in the audience watching all of this happen.",
  "summary": "Perlumbaan semalam dibayangi situasi memalukan dan belum pernah berlaku apabila jentera baharu musim ini gagal berfungsi dengan baik di Litar Antarabangsa Sepang yang basah.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "FIA ikrar siasat kekecohan permulaan GP Bahrain",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/fia-ikrar-siasat-kekecohan-permulaan-gp-bahrain",
        "published": "2026-10-05T00:13:08.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}