Verstappen's formation lap issue triggers FIA's 60-second lockdown at Sepang

Max Verstappen experienced power loss on the formation laps of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia on October 5, 2026. The issue arose when his car hit an anti-cheat safeguard at Turn 9, locking the electrics for 60 seconds, which was also encountered by other drivers like Lewis Hamilton. The problem relates to the wet-weather engine mode that caps electric deployment at 250kW, causing a sudden switch-off of the MGU-K. The FIA's emergency lockdown aimed to prevent teams from manipulating power systems but also affected combustion engines unexpectedly. Further investigation is ongoing to understand the full impact and implications of the software error.

• 10:30 AMYahoo Sports — How Verstappen's slow formation lap set off the FIA's 60-second lockdown at Sepang