News Summary
- Bottas went off on lap nine, leaving his Cadillac stranded in the gravel.
- Antonelli and Verstappen pitted for slick tyres under the Safety Car, with Antonelli retaining the lead.
- Hamilton, Norris and both Alpine drivers stayed out on the slicks they were already using.
Valtteri Bottas triggered a Safety Car on lap nine of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia after losing control and becoming stranded in the gravel. The interruption came as Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen disputed the lead at Sepang, opening a pit-stop opportunity for the leading runners.
Antonelli entered the pits followed by Verstappen, with Mercedes completing a quick switch to slick tyres. The championship leader emerged still ahead of the Red Bull driver, preserving first place through the stops.
George Russell also pitted and retained third position, keeping the second Mercedes immediately behind the leading pair.
The Safety Car prompted the front-running group to switch to slicks as the Formula 1 race moved into another phase following its rain-delayed start.
Hamilton, Norris and Alpine stay out
Ferrari kept Lewis Hamilton on track on the slick tyres he was already using, rather than bringing him in with the leaders. Lando Norris and both Alpine drivers, Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto, also stayed out.
Their decisions created a split between drivers taking fresh slicks during the neutralisation and those continuing on their existing sets. Antonelli nevertheless remained ahead of Verstappen, with Russell holding third after his own stop.
Bottas’s excursion followed the earlier disruption to the starting procedure, when the Cadillac driver was among those affected by technical difficulties. The cause of his lap-nine loss of control had not been established, and there was no confirmed connection to those earlier problems.
The race had already been interrupted before competitive running began, with Hamilton stopping and Leclerc reporting a software glitch during the suspended starting procedure.
GRANDE PRÊMIO will cover all the action at Sepang, including the restart and the developing battle between Antonelli and Verstappen.
F1 today: FAQ
Why did F1 cars lose power before the Bahrain GP in Malaysia?
The FIA identified a combination of low engine speed, low grip, wet-weather energy management settings and Sepang’s sector configuration. It distributed a software update before the race and announced a full review with teams and power unit manufacturers.
Can Kimi Antonelli win the F1 championship in Singapore?
No. Antonelli leads George Russell by 84 points, but even a Singapore Sprint and Grand Prix double would not secure the title. Austin on 25 October is his earliest possible opportunity, depending on his results and those of the remaining contenders.
When is the next F1 race, and is Singapore a Sprint weekend?
The next race is the Singapore Grand Prix on 11 October, with track activity beginning on Friday, 9 October. It is a Sprint weekend: Sprint qualifying takes place on Friday, followed by the Sprint and Grand Prix qualifying on Saturday.
