Overview
- During the rain‑hit formation laps on Sunday several cars lost drive because an FIA‑supplied power‑unit software parameter prevented energy redeployment, forcing race control to abort the start and return the field to the pit lane.
- The FIA issued an updated software release during the roughly 90‑minute delay that removed the energy limit constraint and allowed teams to restart the race; the governing body apologised and said it will investigate the failure with teams and manufacturers.
- Race control reset the order to the original grid for the standing restart, a rules‑based choice defended by team officials but described as '100% unfair' by Fernando Alonso and criticised by other drivers.
- Max Verstappen won the race after the delays, Lewis Hamilton recovered from the back to finish third, and George Russell retired with a late confirmed power‑unit failure that extended Kimi Antonelli’s championship lead to 84 points.
- The incident highlighted how the 2026 power units’ complex energy‑management software and limited wet testing left a low‑speed, low‑grip formation‑lap scenario uncovered, and it raises the prospect of tighter testing, software validation and new wet‑running procedures being required.