NEWS
Bizarre! Hamilton, Ocon and Bearman Stall in Warm-up Lap
A software issue causes a bizarre incident during the warm-up lap. After tense moments, however, all drivers are able to continue.
Bizarre scenes unfolded before the start of the Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix, which is being held this weekend in Sepang (Malaysia).
Why the Formula 1 Race in Malaysia is Called the "Bahrain GP" >>>
After the start was initially delayed by 40 minutes due to rain, fans in Malaysia cheered for the first time when the field finally set off for the warm-up lap at 9:40 AM – but bizarre scenes unfolded there.
Hamilton, Ocon and Bearman Stall
Lewis Hamilton, who qualified in second place, suddenly held up the entire field during the formation lap. He initially complained that he couldn't accelerate, and his Ferrari suddenly stopped in the rain before the last corner.
Just when it looked like the race was over for Hamilton, the Brit suddenly got his Ferrari running again after about ten seconds.
Bizarrely: Moments later, the cars of both Haas drivers, Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon, also suddenly came to a halt during the warm-up lap. But they too were able to restart their cars after tense seconds.
Software Problems Lead to Another Start Delay
It quickly became clear that these were software problems that affected the Ferrari-powered cars, causing chaos and bizarre scenes during the formation lap.
While some cars simply overtook the slow cars after a while, others adhered to the rules and stayed behind the slow or stalled cars.
The FIA reacted to the chaos by sending the cars back to the pit lane and delaying the start once again.
