The Bahrain Grand Prix held in Malaysia turned out to be one of the most chaotic events I have witnessed in modern Formula 1. After a long nine‑year absence, the circuit finally returned to the calendar thanks to a series of inventive compromises that allowed the race to go ahead on a venue that many fans had missed. In hindsight the whole operation was a triumph, even though it was not without its share of problems.
First, I must acknowledge the frustration expressed by numerous spectators I met over the weekend, especially at the Kuala Lumpur airport on Monday morning. A significant number of fans experienced extremely long queues as they tried to leave the venue and catch their flights. The surrounding road network became gridlocked, shuttle buses were stuck, and overall the egress was far slower than anyone would have liked. While the event was assembled on a very tight timetable, these logistical hiccups were disappointing, and I want to extend my sincere thanks to the Malaysian supporters who endured them.
Despite the travel headaches, the people I spoke with all agreed that the race itself was a spectacular showcase. Many recounted getting drenched while walking on the grid, a shared experience that added to the overall excitement. When the cars were lining up for the start, a sudden rain cell moved in, dumping a heavy downpour just as the drivers were about to roll onto the grid.
The temporary shelters that had been erected over the cars and the frantic deployment of wet‑weather tyres could not prevent the standing water from reaching a level that forced the race officials to suspend the start procedure. After the rain eased, the stewards announced that the field would complete two formation laps behind the Safety Car before attempting a proper standing start. The plan seemed reasonable until the Safety Car led the pack and several cars began crawling at a crawl, eventually coming to a complete halt.
The Safety Car, however, continued at its normal pace, quickly pulling far ahead of the stalled vehicles. Drivers were understandably hesitant to overtake the extremely slow cars, especially the six Ferrari‑powered entries, a few Red Bull Powertrains machines and a McLaren‑Mercedes, all of which appeared to be suffering from the same mystery. The root cause was later identified as a software issue within the FIA’s standardised control unit – the so‑called "brain" that governs many essential functions to guarantee parity across the grid. The code could not cope with cars travelling at the very low speeds imposed by the Safety Car, and it consequently cut power to the power units.
Drivers were forced to hit the control‑alt‑delete combination to reboot their systems, resulting in a scene of pure pandemonium. The Safety Car was on the verge of lapping cars that should have been following it closely, prompting officials to abandon the formation laps and bring the field back to the pits. A further complication arose concerning the regulations for cars that had come to a stop.
Should a driver who had lost positions – for example Lewis Hamilton in his Ferrari – be required to restart from the spot where he re‑entered the pit lane, or could the original grid order be restored? After a lengthy 40‑minute pause, which conveniently allowed the rain to clear, the stewards decided to revert to the original starting positions. The FIA also issued an emergency software patch that adjusted the power‑unit parameters for low‑speed operation, sending the update to every car on the grid, including those – like the Aston Martins – that had not experienced the glitch. Once the patch was applied, the race resumed with the Safety Car leading a now‑more‑evenly spaced field.
The track, which is prone to sudden cloudbursts, had begun to dry rapidly, although the ambient temperature on race day was lower than during practice and qualifying. The pit lane and the pit straight appeared completely dry on television, raising the question of which tyre compound should be used for the delayed standing start. Most teams – Ferrari, McLaren, Audi and Aston Martin – opted for slick dry tyres, assuming the circuit would be sufficiently dry.
However, when the cars finally left the Safety Car, a thick spray of water was evident, and sections such as turns three and five remained damp. Some drivers, notably Oscar Piastri and the Audi crew, immediately switched to intermediate tyres, recognising that the light water grooves would provide better grip.
Others, including Hamilton, Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc, persisted with the slicks, hoping the track would improve quickly. Leclerc’s gamble backfired on the first racing lap when he clipped a barrier, breaking his front wing and forcing an early pit stop for intermediates.
The stop cost him time, but it also demonstrated how rapidly the slicks were losing performance on the still‑wet surface. The asphalt, heavily worn in places and subjected to extreme temperatures during the season, had not been resurfaced for this one‑off event, meaning the old surface retained moisture like a sponge and degraded the dry tyres faster than expected. Mid‑race, the battle at the front featured Kimi Antonelli and George Russell in the two Mercedes entries, alongside Max Verstappen’s Red Bull, all on intermediate tyres.
Verstappen, who had been the pre‑race favourite, maintained a blistering pace. It took nine laps for Lando Norris on slicks to finally be quicker than the intermediates, by which time the slick runners were more than a minute behind the leaders. A pivotal moment occurred when Valtteri Bottas spun his Cadillac at turn 13, prompting the deployment of a full Safety Car.
This timing proved advantageous for the leaders, as they could pit for fresh tyres under the reduced 18‑second pit‑stop penalty rather than the usual 26 seconds. The Safety Car stayed out for an extended period, allowing the slick‑tyre runners to close the gap to the intermediate‑shod leaders, effectively resetting the race. Hamilton elected not to pit, preferring to keep track position.
He continued on his starting soft‑compound dry tyres for a remarkable 31 laps, a decision that ultimately paid off. Antonelli, meanwhile, capitalised on his clean air to build a comfortable lead, while Verstappen, despite his early dominance, could not overcome the pace advantage of the Mercedes drivers on the optimal tyre choice. Further drama unfolded when Alex Albon’s Williams stalled on the exit of turn three on lap 42, necessitating a full Safety Car to clear the stranded car and allow marshals to recover it. The safety‑car period compressed the field once more, and several drivers elected to fit used but still‑grippy tyres for the final stint.
The race’s closing stages were marked by a series of misfortunes. Russell’s Mercedes suffered a power‑unit failure even at the modest Safety Car speeds, forcing him to retire and underscoring the season‑long string of bad luck that has plagued his campaign. Shortly after, Lando Norris, unaware of the slowed pack ahead, missed his teammate Oscar Piastri by a hair, skidded off the kerb and lost several positions, ultimately finishing ninth. In the end, Verstappen reclaimed the lead after the final restart and held it to the checkered flag, securing his first victory of the season and the inaugural win for the new Red Bull‑Ford power unit.
Antonelli finished second, extending his championship lead to 84 points over his closest rivals, Russell and Hamilton. Hamilton managed to overtake Isack Hadjar for third place, while Charles Leclerc recovered to fourth, delivering a valuable points haul for Ferrari. The race also featured notable performances from the Racing Bulls duo of Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad, who secured seventh and tenth places respectively, and a solid eighth‑place finish for Fernando Alonso, whose Aston Martin proved surprisingly competitive on the abrasive surface. Overall, the Bahrain GP in Malaysia was a masterclass in crisis management, technical problem‑solving and strategic tyre selection.
It highlighted the challenges of running a brand‑new 2026‑spec car in wet conditions, the importance of robust FIA software, and the ever‑present influence of track surface conditions on tyre performance. The next round in Singapore promises fresh challenges, and fans can look forward to another thrilling weekend of Formula 1 action.