By: During the nail-biting closing stages of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, which saw George Russell and Max Verstappen finish first and second respectively, separated by just one tenth of a second at the flag, a yellow flag almost denied us the thrilling photo finish.
The caution was caused by a crash that put Cadillac driver Valtteri Bottas out of the race on lap 51, when he hit the barriers at Turn 15.
The seemingly routine racing incident, which was overshadowed by the conclusion of the Baku race, may nevertheless conceal a surprising aspect that emerges from the Finnish driver’s own comments.
Bottas reveals an unexpected scenario
Speaking after the race, Bottas said:
“Today was a long and difficult day. We didn’t have the pace and I was only able to fight Fernando, which cost us some time. Towards the end of the race, I locked up on the way into Turn 1 and ran wide, so I think the systems got a bit confused because of the extra distance I had covered. Then I got a huge super clip at Turn 15 and, when I braked, only the front was working and it seemed the rear was no longer harvesting energy.”
What the driver of the American team, powered by the Ferrari Power Unit, has described is deeply concerning.
It brings to mind Leclerc’s comments from the start of the season regarding the management software that “interprets” and “reacts” to what the driver does, managing energy in ways that can sometimes be surprising.
It also recalls the braking problems suffered by several teams, especially Ferrari. Without resorting to conspiracy theories, it is clear that this is a new phenomenon linked to the use of these Power Units.
Who controls the Power Units?
If Bottas’s comments are confirmed, this would be a case of a driver reduced to a mere passenger in his own car.
The Power Unit management software, misled by the extra metres covered as a result of the error and focused on optimising the available energy, delivers power when it is not needed and suddenly removes the driver’s engine-braking support altogether.
It does not take a particularly vivid imagination to envisage scenarios in which the outcome of yesterday’s incident is far more tragic than a simple retirement.
This extremely dangerous scenario should be investigated more thoroughly in light of the exceptionally high safety standards adopted by the FIA over many years and, in this writer’s view, cannot be dismissed as a simple racing incident:
All the news, photos, weather, session times and times from the Azerbaijan GP 2026
