Formula 1 and the FIA faced another technical controversy at the start of the Singapore Grand Prix weekend after a human error in Race Control left Overtake Mode unavailable following the red flag during SQ1. The Federation later acknowledged that the mistake affected the performance of some cars, depending on when they completed their laps and where they were positioned on track.
The incident came after the controversies and disputes seen in Malaysia, with the opening day at Marina Bay also proving problematic from an event-management perspective. Once again, the difficulties centred on the technological side of Formula 1, with technical systems ultimately having a direct impact on the sporting competition.
Singapore SQ1 hit by timing and Overtake Mode problems
During SQ1, a red flag caused by Sergio Perez stopped the session for several minutes. After the interruption, the timing system encountered problems, initially making it appear that the issue was limited to lap-time recording.
However, rumours began circulating insistently in the paddock suggesting that the situation was more complicated. PlanetF1.com journalist Thomas Maher reported that several teams found Overtake Mode unavailable after the session restarted, affecting the closing stages of SQ1.
According to Thomas Maher, “the red flag caused problems for several teams, resulting in differences in the power delivered during SQ1. It is unclear whether there will be any protests.”
FIA confirms human error affected car performance
The FIA soon issued an official explanation, effectively confirming that a serious problem had occurred. However, the Federation attributed it to human error and clarified that it was separate from the timing-system malfunction that had also affected SQ1.
“During the first Sprint Qualifying session, a human error occurred in Race Control,” the FIA statement explained, adding that it was “not related to the timing issue that was also experienced during SQ1.”
The Federation confirmed that the mistake meant Overtake Mode was unavailable after the red-flag period. Once it became clear that the system had not been active following the restart, Overtake Mode was enabled for 27 seconds before being deactivated again.
The FIA acknowledged that the error had an impact on the performance of some cars, depending on the timing of their laps and their position on track. The governing body also confirmed that SQ2 and SQ3 were not affected by the same issue.
The episode adds another technological complication to a Singapore weekend that had already been interrupted by the separate timing-system problem. The complete weekend programme can be followed through the 2026 Singapore Grand Prix schedule.
For readers following the impact of power delivery and straight-line performance more closely, the relevant data can also be explored through the F1 Top Speed Comparison.
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