FIA Confirms Human Error Caused Power Disparity in Singapore Sprint Qualifying
The FIA has acknowledged a technical mistake that gave some drivers a power advantage during the Singapore sprint qualifying, prompting calls for tighter procedural checks.
The Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) has officially admitted that a "human error" during the sprint qualifying session at the Marina Bay Street Circuit created an unintended power disparity among the cars. The admission, reported by Sky Sports F1, comes after teams and drivers raised concerns that the ERS (Energy Recovery System) settings were not uniformly applied, potentially influencing the lap times that set the sprint race grid.
According to the FIA statement, the error stemmed from a mis‑communication between the technical officials and the race control software that governs the deployment of the hybrid power unit. The mistake resulted in a small but measurable difference in the amount of boost available to certain drivers during their qualifying runs. While the FIA clarified that the discrepancy did not breach any regulatory limits, it acknowledged that the inconsistency was contrary to the sport's principle of equal machinery.
Team principals from Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari all expressed disappointment, noting that sprint qualifying is a high‑stakes, short‑duration session where even a fraction of a second can dictate race strategy. "We trust the governing body to ensure a level playing field," said Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff in a post‑session interview, "so any deviation, however minor, is taken seriously." The FIA has promised a review of its procedural checks and will implement additional safeguards to prevent a repeat of the incident.
For Indian fans, the sprint qualifying took place at 6:30 pm IST on Saturday, with the sprint race scheduled for 9:00 pm IST the same day. The main race is set for 8:00 pm IST on Sunday, and both events will be streamed live on FanCode with commentary in Hindi and English. The FIA's admission may influence how teams approach the final practice session on Sunday, as they will likely aim to fine‑tune their ERS settings under the new oversight measures.
While the error does not alter the official qualifying results, it adds another layer of intrigue to the championship battle as Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton head into the final race of the season with the title still up for grabs.
Source: Sky Sports F1