Only half of the drivers received a half-second boost in engine power after a human error in race control saw the Overtake Mode system switched off after 27 seconds. Following the incident in sprint qualifying at the Singapore Grand Prix, Williams driver Carlos Sainz launched a scathing attack on the International Automobile Federation (FIA) over the sporting inequality it created. "Unfortunately, we had a really poor lap there... half of the cars did the lap with half a second quicker engine than the others," said the Spaniard, who ended up 22nd.
Sainz highlighted the inconsistency of the FIA's decisions, drawing a parallel with the Bahrain Grand Prix staged at Sepang in Malaysia. After a software fault at the circuit, the governing body reinstated the original starting grid, allowing Lewis Hamilton to keep his place. The Spaniard argued that the federation's rulings depend on which team or driver is knocked out in the first segment.
