The settings challenge in Singapore, which was mixed with a glitch within the F1 timing system that delayed the beginning of second qualifying, affected all automobiles however had a much bigger affect on some drivers than others, relying on the timing of their runs.
The issue concerned the settings being totally different earlier than and after a pink flag brought on by a crash for Sergio Perez’s Cadillac and left drivers complaining of lowered energy.
It concerned overtake mode – which permits an additional 0.5MJ of power to be harvested – being switched on and off once more within the house of 28 seconds.
Williams driver Carlos Sainz was knocked out within the first session after what we described as a “actually poor lap”, however added: “On prime of that, half the automobiles did the lap with half a second faster engine than the others.
“There was one other software program challenge and we had been on the unhealthy finish of it, and for no matter motive, the FIA, like in Malaysia, once more did not determine to do sporting fairness and had been completely happy to do half of the quali with automobiles with greater energy than the opposite half of the automobiles.
“A bit confused why the game retains doing various things relying on who’s out in Q1 or who’s out in lap one.”
Sainz stated he didn’t suppose he would have made it via even with out the settings downside.
Racing Bulls’ Arvid Lindblad and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll had been different drivers who had been affected and had been knocked out within the first session. Stroll’s team-mate Fernando Alonso additionally suffered, however did progress, ultimately qualifying fifteenth.
The FIA stated in a press release: “Throughout the first interval of dash qualifying there was a human error in race management unrelated to the timing challenge additionally encountered in SQ1.
“This challenge in query meant overtake mode was not out there after the pink flag interval throughout SQ1.
“When it grew to become obvious that overtake mode was not energetic after the restart, it was then activated for a interval of 27 seconds earlier than being deactivated once more.
“The FIA acknowledges that this unlucky human error had an affect on the efficiency of sure automobiles based mostly on the timing of their run and their place across the lap.
“The second and third intervals of dash qualifying weren’t affected.”
The FIA system mechanically disables overtake mode when there’s a pink flag. A pop-up then seems on the display screen asking whether or not officers wish to re-enable it.
This was ignored, then overtake mode was reactivated earlier than being disabled once more, on the premise that it was fairer to take action than depart it enabled.
