Max Verstappen jokes about rain threat in Brazil: "I've installed antivirus now!"

The first wet race with Formula 1’s 2026 cars did not exactly prove to be a resounding success. During the formation laps behind the safety car at the Sepang International Circuit, almost half the field came to a halt.

The issue turned out to be a software bug linked to the 250kW restrictions imposed by the FIA for wet-weather races. That software bug caused the electric motors to go into lock-down mode in the slowest parts of the circuit. With no electric power available to offset the turbo lag, nothing happened when the drivers pressed the throttle pedal.