FIA Acknowledges Error in Singapore F1 Sprint Qualifying

The FIA has acknowledged a significant error during the sprint qualifying at the Singapore Grand Prix, as explained by single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis. The incident occurred after a red flag was issued due to Sergio Perez's crash, leading to confusion among drivers regarding the activation of overtake mode.

Race control initially failed to reactivate the overtake mode, then mistakenly turned it back on for a brief period before deactivating it again. This led to complaints from drivers who felt disadvantaged by the situation. Tombazis noted that the process to re-enable the mode is typically manual and that a delay in responding to a computer notification contributed to the oversight.

Tombazis described the situation as a mess that impacted the competitive order, emphasizing that fairness is a top priority for the FIA. He acknowledged the need for thorough analysis to prevent similar mistakes in the future, especially following a recent incident at the Bahrain Grand Prix where a power unit glitch disrupted the race.