Carlos Sainz has called on Formula 1 to take a serious look at how its regulations became so complicated after another unusual software-related problem disrupted the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend at Sepang. The Williams driver was particularly critical of the direction chosen for the 2026 technical regulations, arguing that the complexity now affects drivers, teams, power units and manufacturers alike.
His comments followed the extraordinary scenes in Malaysia, where cars were reduced to extremely low speeds because of a software issue affecting the power units. For Carlos Sainz, the incident raised a broader question about whether Formula 1 has allowed technology and regulatory complexity to go too far.
What happened with the Formula 1 software at Sepang?
The Sepang episode followed another unusual technical incident involving Valtteri Bottas in Baku, when the Finn was unable to brake normally because his car had become “confused”.
Then came the scenes behind the Safety Car in Malaysia, with cars travelling at around 30km/h because of a bug in the FIA programme connected to the power units. Against the backdrop of the already highly complex 2026 Formula 1 power unit regulations, the incident inevitably raised further questions.
FIA single-seater technical director Nikolas Tombazis subsequently addressed the specific problem.
“I can guarantee that this specific problem will not happen again. Can I guarantee that there will never be any other problems? No.”
Carlos Sainz tells Formula 1 to reconsider its direction
Carlos Sainz was one of the strongest critics of Formula 1 and the FIA following the software episode.
“Formula 1 needs to take a careful look at itself and understand how we ended up in this situation,” Carlos Sainz said. “It is clear that the regulations are extremely complicated for the drivers, for the teams, for the power units and for the manufacturers. It is too complicated.”
The Spaniard then questioned the original decision-making process that created the present generation of regulations.
“Once again, the only question I ask myself is: who, five years ago, decided that this was the direction we should follow?”
“We are doing our best with what we are given as a sport and as regulations. The FIA and F1 are doing their best with what was decided four or five years ago. But we are talking about a wrong decision.”
The debate comes during a season in which the new technical framework has already generated wider discussion around energy deployment, power unit performance and race procedures. Honda, for example, has continued working to extract more from its package as the manufacturers adapt to the new era, with further engine development planned at Sakura.
Sainz: ‘With a naturally aspirated V8 this would never have happened’
Carlos Sainz believes Formula 1 must learn from the problems that have emerged rather than repeat the same decisions when future regulations are written.
“We need to learn as a sport not to repeat those mistakes and not to find ourselves in those same bizarre situations again,” Carlos Sainz said.
“When there is so much software and so many controls involved, this is what happens. With a naturally aspirated V8 this would never have happened.”
His comments add to the broader debate about whether Formula 1’s pursuit of increasingly sophisticated technology has made the sport unnecessarily complicated. The 2026 season has already produced discussion around several aspects of the sporting and technical rules, including concerns about how Formula 1’s VSC regulations operate.
For Carlos Sainz, however, the central issue goes back further than one individual software fault at Sepang. His concern is the fundamental direction Formula 1 chose several years ago and whether the sport should avoid repeating that approach when deciding what comes next.
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