Bahrain GP in Malaysia Recap: Why F1's 2026 Engines Struggled at Sepang

Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia review and analysis: why F1 cars lost power on the formation lap at Sepang, how Red Bull Ford won its first race as an engine manufacturer, why Mercedes lost a podium five laps from the end, and how Hamilton and Ferrari recovered to finish on the podium. Explained in plain English by a mechanical engineer, for newer F1 fans. 🏁 In this episode: 0:00 Intro 1:08 What we expected coming into the weekend 3:52 What went wrong on the formation lap, explained 10:26 Red Bull Ford's first win 13:04 Mercedes heartbreak: Russell's late retirement 15:56 Ferrari and Hamilton's comeback 18:16 The rest of the field 20:34 Singapore GP preview + Crashgate Explained 🔧 The key takeaway: the 2026 power units split power almost evenly between combustion and electric, and Sepang showed one of the catches. Software handles when the electric power is delivered, and a bug stopped it coming back on some cars. 💬 Question for you: is the electric/combustion split worth the trade-off? Tell me in the comments. ✉️Reach out: zoeelisabethcontent@gmail.com 📸 IG: instagram.com/gridgirlsformula 🎧 Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/0P8B7aRVxE1RRa9c6RafY2 🍏 Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-grid-girls-formula-an-f1-podcast/id1806854828 Grid Girl's Formula, F1, Formula 1, F1 podcast, F1 explained, F1 history, F1 engineering, Drive to Survive, F1 for beginners, F1 news, F1 strategy, F1 team history, F1 drivers, F1 2026 season, motorsport podcast, racing podcast, F1 rules, F1 regulations, F1 qualifying, F1 race weekend, F1 grand prix, F1 fan podcast, F1 breakdown, F1 analysis