Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang delayed by rain, start suspended as cars struggle
The Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix, hosted in Malaysia because of the conflict in the Middle East, started late after heavy rain at Sepang. A first attempt behind the safety car was then suspended after several cars had problems.
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The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2The start of the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia was delayed on Sunday 4 October because of heavy rain; it had been due to start at 3 p.m. local time (0700 GMT). CNAN “The start of the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia was delayed on Sunday due to heavy rain at the Sepang International Circuit.” Read at CNA ↗ Irish IndependentRC “After a 40-minute delay to the scheduled 3pm race start (8am, GMT) because of heavy showers just before lights out” Read at Irish Independent ↗ Centre · 1The FIA sent the medical car out to report on conditions, and it found a "significant amount of standing water"; the FIA said conditions were not suitable to start. CNAN “The medical car reported a "significant amount of standing water" around the track, with the FIA adding that current conditions were not suitable to start the race.” Read at CNA ↗ Mixed · 2Malaysia is hosting the Bahrain race because of the conflict in the Middle East. CNAN “Malaysia is hosting the Bahrain race due to the conflict in the Middle East.” Read at CNA ↗ Irish IndependentRC “with the race shifting from the Middle East because of the conflict in the region” Read at Irish Independent ↗
Centre · 1Red Bull's Max Verstappen was on pole position, his first of the season, with Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton alongside and Mercedes' championship leader Kimi Antonelli third on the grid. CNAN “Red Bull's Max Verstappen is on pole position, his first of the season, with Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton alongside him on the front row.” Read at CNA ↗ Mixed · 2After the delay of about 40 minutes, the cars went out at 3.40 p.m. for two laps behind the safety car, with all teams on intermediate tyres. CNAN “Race control ordered two laps behind the safety car with all teams opting for intermediate tyres” Read at CNA ↗ Irish IndependentRC “the action got under way at 3.40pm local time, with the FIA announcing a couple of formation laps behind a safety car” Read at Irish Independent ↗ Mixed · 2Several cars then had trouble. Red Bull's Isack Hadjar went into the gravel, Verstappen complained of acceleration problems and Hamilton slowed or stopped; CNA attributed Hamilton's stop to a software issue, and the Irish Independent said he reported the same inability to accelerate as Verstappen. CNAN “Hamilton then encountered a software issue causing him to stop on the back straight” Read at CNA ↗ Irish IndependentRC “Hamilton soon reported the same problem, drifting back through the pack.” Read at Irish Independent ↗
Centre · 1Race control suspended the start procedure and the cars returned to the pit lane. After confusion over the order in which they entered, the FIA announced that positions would revert to the original grid. CNAN “the FIA announced that positions would revert to the original grid.” Read at CNA ↗ Mixed · 2The Irish Independent said the suspension lasted a further 40 minutes while the track dried. When the cars went out again, tyre choices split: Verstappen chose intermediates while others chose dry tyres, and Alpine's Pierre Gasly slid off on the formation lap, according to CNA. Irish IndependentRC “The starting procedure was suspended for a further 40 minutes as race control waited for the track to dry further” Read at Irish Independent ↗ CNAN “some drivers, like Verstappen, opted for the intermediate tyres while others opted for dry tyres on a rapidly-drying track” Read at CNA ↗ Centre · 1Hamilton said on the radio that the track was "so slippery" and "dangerous". The cars completed two laps behind the safety car before a standing start. CNAN “"The track's pretty wet. It's so slippery, guys, it's dangerous," Hamilton said on the radio as the cars completed two laps behind the safety car before a standing start.” Read at CNA ↗
Right · 1The Irish Independent's F1 correspondent Tom Cary blamed the modern hybrid cars rather than the weather. He wrote that they struggled because running slowly behind a safety car left them unable to re-accelerate. Irish IndependentRC “The weather itself was not the problem.”“it seemed the cars struggled as a consequence of going so slowly behind the safety car.” Read at Irish Independent ↗ Right · 1Former driver Anthony Davidson told Sky Sports F1 that if engines run too slowly the turbo spools down because the cars no longer have the MGU-H, and that once the battery goes flat the engine cannot meet the driver's torque demand under FIA regulations. He said teams should have simulated this beforehand. Irish IndependentRC “if you run the engines too slowly, the turbo spools down because we don’t have the MGU-H anymore”“A lot of it comes down to the homework that should have been done before these wet conditions” Read at Irish Independent ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre1 outlet
- Framing
- CNA ran a straight sports report: an initial delay item, then an updated account of the chaotic start.
- Emphasis
- The sequence of delays, driver incidents, the suspension and the FIA's decisions.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Gives no technical explanation for the cars' acceleration problems beyond a software issue for Hamilton, and no criticism of regulations.
- Charged language
- “descended into chaos”“soggy saga”
Right1 outlet
- Framing
- The Irish Independent (Telegraph content) ran an expert-explainer that treats the start as a farce caused by the complex hybrid cars, not the weather.
- Emphasis
- Technical causes (turbo spool-down, no MGU-H), Davidson's comments, fan frustration and criticism of F1 and FIA regulations.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Gives less detail than CNA on Gasly, the tyre split and the reversion to the original grid.
- Charged language
- “farce”“shambolic”“absurd construct”“despised by many fans”
- For example
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“Formula One experienced its most farcical scenes for decades because the cars failed to operate in wet conditions in Malaysia.” — Irish Independent
“Formula One and the FIA will be accused once again of introducing regulations and machinery which are far too complex.” — Irish Independent
What every side reports
- The race start at Sepang was delayed by heavy rain from the scheduled 3 p.m. local time.
- Malaysia is hosting the Bahrain race because of the conflict in the Middle East.
- Verstappen started on pole with Hamilton alongside; Hadjar crashed into the gravel and Verstappen and Hamilton had problems behind the safety car.
- The start procedure was suspended after the cars struggled.
Where accounts differ
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Why Hamilton and Verstappen struggled behind the safety car
- Centre
- CNA reported Verstappen had acceleration problems and Hamilton a software issue, without a wider cause.
- Right
- The Irish Independent said the hybrid cars could not cope with slow running behind the safety car, and that the weather was not the problem.
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How the race is characterised
- Centre
- CNA described the start as chaos and a "soggy saga".
- Right
- The Irish Independent called it a "farce", F1's "most farcical scenes for decades".
Bahrain Grand Prix event
The race was shifted to Malaysia because of the Middle East conflict. The Irish Independent called this an "absurd construct", while CNA states it neutrally.
“Malaysia is hosting the Bahrain race due to the conflict in the Middle East.” — CNA
“already an absurd construct” — Irish Independent
Sepang International Circuit place
Heavy rain left standing water on the circuit, and sweepers and marshals worked to clear it before the start.
“the FIA delayed the start to allow sweepers and marshals to tackle a significant amount of standing water” — CNA
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre2 articles
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CNAN ·
Bahrain Grand Prix gets underway at Sepang after long rain delay
Mixed Detailed account of the chaotic start with some colourful language, citing driver radio messages.
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CNAN ·
Bahrain Grand Prix in Sepang delayed due to heavy rain
Neutral Short breaking report on the rain delay, the FIA's medical car check and the grid.
Right1 article
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Our F1 expert explains why start of Bahrain Grand Prix descended into farce
Critical Opinionated explainer blaming complex hybrid cars and FIA regulations for the farce, with a former driver's technical explanation.
- 4 Oct 08:18 First CNAN Bahrain Grand Prix in Sepang delayed due to heavy rain
- 4 Oct 08:18 First CNAN Bahrain Grand Prix gets underway at Sepang after long rain delay
- 4 Oct 11:35 +3h 18m Irish IndependentRC Our F1 expert explains why start of Bahrain Grand Prix descended into farce
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.