{
  "id": 12149987,
  "title": "How software problems exposed new F1 cars at Bahrain GP",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/how-software-problems-exposed-new-f1-cars-at-bahrain-gp",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-05T12:07:52.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Gulf News",
    "slug": "gulf-news",
    "url": "https://gulfnews.com/sport/motorsport/how-software-problems-exposed-new-f1-cars-at-bahrain-gp-1.500699013"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang circuit saw some of the new 2026-specification F1 cars struggle on the wet track, as software problems caused them to crawl at slow speeds or stop entirely. Max Verstappen, who won his first race of the season, criticized the new cars' inability to handle the conditions due to software algorithms failing to adjust to the wet conditions. This led to delays in restarting the race after the first attempt ended in confusion, with teams taking nearly an hour to update their software. Lewis Hamilton likened the start to a Lego race, with cars moving at similar speeds. The FIA stepped in to review the issue, removing an energy limit constraint in affected sectors during the race to allow teams to make necessary adjustments before the start.",
  "summary": "Max Verstappen won his first race of the season at the Bahrain GP in Malaysia, but his victory was overshadowed by shocking scenes of cars crawling around the wet Sepang circuit at slow speeds or stopping entirely as drivers and teams tried to restart their systems. The Red Bull driver, while savouring one of his finest hours on Sunday, also took a swipe at the new cars, saying he wants \"a lesson…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "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."
}