Verstappen jokes about antivirus fix as rain looms over Brazilian Grand Prix

Max Verstappen brushed off concerns about a repeat of Formula 1’s Malaysian software crisis with a dry one-liner at the Brazilian Grand Prix press conference in São Paulo, where rain is forecast for race weekend at Interlagos.

Asked whether drivers were confident the Sepang debacle would not recur, the four-time world champion told reporters: “I have installed antivirus in my car, so I’ll be fine!” When Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad said he hoped the issue had been resolved, Verstappen grabbed the microphone again and laughed: “You’ll be on the same software, mate, so don’t worry!”

The jokes reference a chaotic opening to the Malaysian Grand Prix, where almost half the field ground to a halt during the formation laps behind the safety car at the Sepang International Circuit. The culprit was a software bug tied to the 250kW power restrictions the FIA imposes on 2026-specification power units in wet-weather conditions. The restriction caused electric motors to enter a lock-down mode through the slowest sections of the circuit, leaving drivers with no electric power to counter turbo lag when they pressed the throttle.

The FIA resolved the immediate problem in Malaysia by lifting the restrictions in the most affected mini-sectors and pushing updated software to teams and manufacturers within roughly 20 minutes. A similar emergency measure was applied in Singapore, and a more structured test of modified software followed during the first practice session at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, where cars ran briefly at low speed through Turn 15 to validate additional software protections.

FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis acknowledged in Malaysia that the bug had only surfaced during the race because the governing body had been unable to conduct sufficient wet-weather testing with the 2026 cars beforehand. He confirmed the specific bug would not reappear but stopped short of guaranteeing the software was entirely fault-free.

Verstappen has strong reason to relish a return to Interlagos regardless of conditions. The Red Bull driver has won at the circuit three times and produced multiple celebrated comeback drives there, including last year when he charged from the pitlane to the podium.