A software glitch at Singapore’s Marina Bay Circuit left several teams scrambling when overtaking power was inadvertently disabled during sprint qualifying.
Tangled Debris and the Overtake Mode Mishap
During the first segment of sprint qualifying, a restart was called to clear debris from Sergio Perez’s front wing. When the session resumed, race‑control operators mistakenly kept Overtake Mode, the electric boost used throughout qualifying, turned off. Several drivers noted a sudden dip in performance, a consequence of the missing power surge.
Short‑Lived Fix, Lingering Fallout
The error was realised only after the session had begun, prompting a race‑control official to reactivate Overtake Mode for 27 seconds before disabling it again. Cars that had set their best laps before the restart used the boost as normal, while those that ran afterward were unable to match those times or to advance beyond the top‑16 threshold for the next qualifying round.
Teams’ Appeals Met with Firm Denials
Williams and Racing Bulls were particularly hard hit. After the first sprint‑qualifying session, the two teams asked race‑control to allow all 22 cars to compete in the second session or to re‑run the first segment. Race stewards denied both requests, citing uncertainty over regulatory capacity and a shortage of set tyres.
FIA Apologises, Clarifies the Scope
An apology issued by the FIA read: “During the first period of Sprint Qualifying there was a human error in Race Control… Overtake Mode was not available after the red flag period. The second and third periods of Sprint Qualifying were not affected.”
Aston Martin’s Leeway and the Road Ahead
Aston Martin remains open to taking action, hoping the governing body will level the playing field before Saturday’s sprint. While Williams and Racing Bulls have chosen not to protest the results, the incident underscores the need for precise control protocols as the championship’s pace quickens.
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