Overview
- A torrential downpour at Sepang caused multiple cars to slow and stall on the formation lap on Sunday, forcing race control to abandon the initial start and return the field to the pits.
- The FIA diagnosed an interaction between low‑speed running, wet‑weather energy settings and the mandated standard ECU that cut power delivery, then sent an over‑the‑air software patch to all cars to restore drive.
- Race control restarted the race using the original qualifying order rather than the pit‑lane arrival order set out in Articles B5.15.1/B5.14.1, a choice that spared Lewis Hamilton from a rear‑of‑grid re‑start.
- Max Verstappen won with Kimi Antonelli second and Hamilton third, while Mercedes confirmed George Russell has exhausted his low‑mileage engine allocation and will need a fresh power unit, a move likely to bring a grid penalty in Singapore.
- Paddock reaction is split — some pundits defended the pragmatic reset and the quick software fix, others including Fernando Alonso called the decision unfair — and the FIA has opened a formal technical review that may change software rules, wet testing or restart procedures.