Singapore sprint qualifying disrupted by FIA error in SQ1
NXTbets Pro | Published On: October 9, 2026
FIA error hits SQ1
An FIA error disrupted sprint qualifying at Formula 1’s Singapore Grand Prix and left drivers dealing with an uneven run through SQ1. The problem hit during the final runs in the first segment after a red flag for Sergio Perez, whose broken front wing brought the session to a stop. When SQ1 was supposed to restart, Overtake Mode should have come back online. Race Control made a human error instead, and the system stayed unavailable for 27 seconds. That short gap changed the dynamic of the session at the worst possible moment, with drivers pushing for a place in the next segment and every detail of the run mattering. During that stretch, some drivers on push laps got only normal race deployment rather than full energy and power. Others picked up extra straight-line speed, depending on where they were on track. The FIA said the issue affected performance. It did not say the problem settled the outcome by itself, but the interruption put different drivers in different positions as SQ1 resumed and the final laps unfolded.
SQ1 eliminations follow
The FIA said the Overtake Mode failure did not appear to directly cause the SQ1 eliminations, and it also said the second and third segments of sprint qualifying were not affected. That left the first segment as the main source of fallout, with several drivers missing out as the session closed. The list of those eliminated included Esteban Ocon, Arvid Lindblad, Lance Stroll, Alex Albon, Sergio Perez, Valtteri Bottas and Carlos Sainz. Perez had already triggered the red flag earlier in the segment, and he remained among the drivers knocked out when SQ1 ended. The FIA’s view was clear enough on the broader picture. The performance impact was real, but it did not point to a direct link between the 27-second outage and the drivers who failed to advance. Even so, the sequence of events gave SQ1 a messy finish. The red flag, the restart, the unavailable system and the final eliminations all came in quick succession, leaving the first segment of sprint qualifying far less orderly than planned. For the drivers on the wrong side of the cut, the timing of the disruption sat alongside the pressure of a tight street-circuit session, with no room to recover once the window closed.
Timing issue delays SQ2
A separate timing-system issue added another layer of confusion before SQ2 could begin. This time, the problem came from lap times that were not registered, which delayed the start of the second segment. The FIA later said the timing problem had been resolved and that the current timings were correct. It also set a restart time of 9:11 p.m. local time for SQ2, giving the session a new target after the delay. That issue stood apart from the Overtake Mode failure in SQ1, but both problems left sprint qualifying with an unsettled feel. One affected how cars ran through the first segment. The other held up the start of the next one. The FIA’s updates made clear that the officials were working through separate technical problems as the session moved along. SQ2 was not affected by the same Overtake Mode lapse, and the FIA said the later timing trouble had been fixed before the segment got back underway. Even with that reassurance, the sequence underscored how fragile the session became once the interruptions started. The delayed segment then had a revised restart time in place, with the corrected timing data restored.
