F1 in Bahrain... in Malaysia: The race needed a software update to start

What happened

Heavy rain arrived about half an hour before the start time, delaying things significantly. A software bug waylaid half the field and required a race reboot.

Well, it’s safe to say no Bahrain Grand Prix has been affected by torrential rain quite like the 2026 race. For one thing, it was held several thousand miles from Bahrain itself.

The ongoing war with Iran ruled such things out, so the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia stepped in to fill its spot. If it’s wet enough to need it, it will be too wet to see where you’re going.