Race control’s failure to reactivate and then misapply overtaking mode during the Singapore Grand Prix sprint qualifying was admitted by FIA director Nikolas Tombazis as a mistake that “felt like the worst thing” for the federation.
Driving the error
After Sergio Perez’s crash triggered a red‑flag, the first sprint session suffered a 27‑second power restriction. Race‑control officials, pressed by multiple simultaneous actions, neglected to re‑enable overtaking and later briefly turned it on—an incorrect decision that conflicted with fairness.
Tombazis explained that the blunder originated from a pop‑up window that was not answered promptly. Under time pressure, the team “forgot” the delay and failed to act in a timely manner.
Drivers and teams feel the fallout
Competitors who were eliminated in the first sprint phase reported a sudden lack of power that disrupted their pace, while others who had already qualified sensed an uneven playing field. The incident prompted intense discussions within race‑control and a broader investigation to prevent recurrence.
“The decision to re‑enable and then turn it off again interfered with the first session’s results,” Tombazis said. He stressed that safety and fairness remain the FIA’s top priorities, and that a perceived injustice undermines the sport’s integrity.
Looking ahead
This oversight follows a recent power‑unit glitch at the Bahrain event that required a software update for several cars before racing could commence. The FIA has announced that it will strengthen procedural safeguards and review its internal checklists so that a similar mismatch between technical directives and on‑track conditions does not reappear.
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