Heavy rain was only part of the chaos before the Sepang start. Several cars lost the ability to accelerate during the formation laps, prompting a red flag and another delay. Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton were among those affected.

According to the FIA explanation reported by Motorsport.com, extremely low speeds behind the Safety Car triggered the fault. Software associated with the wet-weather electrical power restrictions entered a loop that prevented power from being deployed again. From the cockpit, the throttle pedal appeared to stop responding.

An emergency update allowed the race to proceed. The FIA removed the relevant restrictions in the affected minisectors, providing a temporary response to the immediate problem.

The episode leaves a clear question for F1’s new technical era: how thoroughly are systems checked when cars move unusually slowly in wet conditions? That combination exposed a gap between testing and an actual race weekend.

Sources: Motorsport.com · Motorsport.com