Lando Norris was short but concise in his assessment of Formula 1’s new regulations after a software glitch caused a delay to the start of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.
The sport’s regulations – which came into effect this uear – and their complexities were given a rather public example in Sepang after a one-hour delay caused by heavy rainfall.
When cars eventually took to the track for the formation lap behind the Safety Car, the software pararemters – which are set by the FIA and used by teams – on the circuit to downgrade the kilowatt power of the electric component of the 50/50 power units suffered a malfunction.
Some cars slowed dramatically, or indeed came to a full stop altogether, as the software – done to lower the torque of the cars in the wet conditions – had not been fully tested due to this being the first true wet Grand Prix start of the season.
The software glitch was mended within 40 minutes, with a patch for it being swiftly created by the FIA and handed to teams to enable their cars would not malfunction again.
Such a unique incident has sparked a number of reactions, with Max Verstappen resorting to laughter in-car during the formation lap, and Carlos Sainz saying that everyone involved “needs to have a hard look at themselves”.
After the race, Norris, another longstanding and outspoken opponent of the regulations, indicated vindication of his stance.
“It just proves that we shouldn’t have any of that stuff, the electronic side,” he told media, including Motorsport Week.
“This is all coding stuff and stuff to do with how the battery works.”
Asked if there was now scope for drivers to speak up more on the issue, Norris simply replied: “We can’t say any more than what we’ve said.”
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