The 2026 Formula 1 season continued over the weekend with drivers heading to Malaysia for the relocated Bahrain Grand Prix. The race was originally due to be held in the spring, but the Iran War forced a postponement. A compromise was eventually reached, with the Sepang International Circuit hosting this year's edition.
On the track, Max Verstappen secured a rare victory. The Red Bull driver started on pole and converted that to a first win since the opening weekend of the season. There was plenty of frustration further down the field, however, with Lewis Hamilton and Sergio Perez among those to encounter challenging situations.
Hamilton's unprecedented issue
Lewis Hamilton might have been in Formula One for around half his life, but he is still having new experiences in the sport. On this occasion, it related to a software glitch which forced him into some unexpected behaviour.
"These engines are so complicated and a lot of software is implemented," the Brit's rival Max Verstappen first said. "I triggered [the problem] first and then I looked in my mirror, I was like, 'Wait, are they waiting for me or what's going [on]...?' It was like the Lego race."
This prompted Hamilton to chip in himself, saying: "Yeah, we had the same speed. I had to stop on track and stop the car and engine and restart it. I've never done that before."
Perez's 'unacceptable' claim
Further down the grid, Perez of Cadillac only managed a 19th-place finish. While the drama around the software issue impacted a number of drivers, there was also a lengthy delay to the start which drew a pointed response from the Mexican among others.
"I mean, it's obviously not great what happened today," Perez said. "I'm sure we will learn from it as a sport, but what happened today is totally unacceptable for the sport."
Fellow driver Lance Stroll was also left frustrated: "We missed some good racing, wet tires at the beginning, we should have been out there running," he said. "Instead cars are fixing their software issues. It's a bit sad to see."
