F1 looks amateurish and incompetent after farcical scenes in Sepang
Review is under way, but there will be no quick fix for misconceived regulations that resulted in cars being unable to run in the rain
TL;DR
- Formula One is insisting its new format is more popular, despite driver disapproval over engine regulations.
- Farcical scenes at the Malaysian Grand Prix, which replaced the cancelled Bahrain GP, saw drivers mocking the situation.
- Heavy rain caused delays, and cars experienced software failures related to power delivery when running behind the safety car.
- Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton compared the incident to driving Lego cars due to the software glitches.
- The FIA acknowledged an unanticipated bug and issued a software update, which resolved the immediate issue.
- The incident highlighted concerns that too much is taken out of drivers' control due to complex engine software.
- F1's chief executive, Stefano Domenicali, has previously suggested new fans are more interested in action than technical details.
- Despite the pre-race chaos, the race itself was entertaining, with Hamilton recovering from 17th to third.
- The article suggests that the regulations were agreed upon with input from F1, teams, and power unit manufacturers.
- The Sepang incident emphasized the perceived flaws in the current regulations.