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Formula One faces criticism after recent software issues and human errors by race control disrupted the Singapore GP and Bahrain GP, threatening the sport’s recent progress.
Mercedes’ British driver George Russell (front) drives during the sprint qualifying session ahead of the Formula One Singapore Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Street Circuit in Singapore on October 9, 2026. (Photo by Roslan RAHMAN / AFP)
Formula One continues to shoot itself in the foot. The sport has spent the last few years trying to simplify itself to draw a wide range of audiences, which has worked exceptionally well.
But the 2026-27 season is now threatening to undo a lot of that progress. For a second time in a week, a F1 Grand Prix was affected beyond repair due to a software issue caused by no driver, engineer, team principal, or even a steward, but a ‘human error’ of failing to push a button in the race control room.
At the Singapore GP on Friday, an FIA official failed to reactivate the engines’ extra power mode following a red flag in Sprint Qualifying 1.
The session was halted due to debris from Sergio Pérez’s Cadillac, automatically disabling the additional power available through ‘Overtake Mode’. However, when qualifying resumed, the mode remained inactive before being switched on for 27 seconds and subsequently disabled again over concerns about sporting fairness.
The inconsistent power delivery affected drivers differently depending on their positions on the track. Williams’ Carlos Sainz, who was eliminated in SQ1, said some cars had an engine advantage of nearly half a second. Arvid Lindblad, Lance Stroll, Alex Albon, Valtteri Bottas and Pérez were also knocked out.
The FIA acknowledged the incident as human error, separate from a timing issue that also affected SQ1. Teams can protest the results, but it remains unclear how officials would respond if a protest is upheld. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen finished on pole.
Last week, the Bahrain Grand Prix was red-flagged after a software glitch caused cars to lose power in their hybrid V6 engines during the formation lap. The race restarted 48 minutes later after the FIA issued a software fix. Drivers described the incident as “horrible” and “totally unacceptable.”
What is causing these software issues?
Until last season, F1 was a much simpler sport. The primary way to overtake was the Drag Reduction System (DRS). If a driver was within one second of the car ahead at a detection point, Race Control would turn on the DRS mode, where the driver could then press a button to open a physical flap on their rear wing, shedding drag to gain top speed.
Now, F1 has moved away from purely internal combustion engines to half-motor and half-battery ones for sustainability reasons. The cause was noble and brought other car manufacturers on board, but its execution has been flawed at best. Overtakes now require a software allowance from the race control, with DRS abolished. And this ‘arming’ of extra electricity is controlled from the race control room.
It has added another layer of human involvement, by complicating the needs of the sport, making it difficult for everyone, including those controlling it.
Quick Answers
Ask News18An FIA official failed to reactivate the engines’ extra power mode following a red flag caused by debris from Sergio Perez’s Cadillac. This human error, combined with a timing issue, left ‘Overtake Mode’ inactive when qualifying resumed before being briefly turned on and disabled again.
Ask News18October 09, 2026, 22:41 IST
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