Max Verstappen quips about the possibility of rain in Brazil: "I've put in some antivirus now!"

This same urgent measure was later implemented in Singapore, followed by a test with revised software in Austin. At the Circuit of the Americas, the FIA released the following statement:

"As part of the ongoing enhancements to the Power Unit software for low grip mode, the FIA, in collaboration with the teams and Power Unit manufacturers, will conduct a simulation at the conclusion of FP1, with cars operating in low grip mode utilizing specific driver inputs during the in-lap to assess additional software safeguards. This will involve cars running a short distance at low speed at Turn 15 at the end of the session."

FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis had previously clarified in Malaysia that the glitch had only emerged during the race due to insufficient testing of the 2026 cars under wet conditions beforehand. In response to a query from Motorsport.com, he assured that he could guarantee this particular bug would not recur, while acknowledging that he could not dismiss the possibility of other bugs.

With the weather forecast for Sao Paulo indicating a chance of rain, F1 drivers may once more face wet conditions this weekend. When asked during the FIA press conference if the drivers were confident that the Sepang fiasco would not repeat itself, Max Verstappen humorously remarked, "I have installed antivirus in my car, so I'll be fine!"

When Racing Bulls driver Arvid Lindblad expressed hope that the issue had been rectified, Verstappen took the microphone again and chuckled, "You'll be on the same software, mate, so don't worry!"

Verstappen has cherished memories of Interlagos, having triumphed there three times and staged remarkable comebacks on just as many occasions.

Last year, the Dutchman surged from the pit lane to the podium, while in 2024, he clinched victory from 17th on the grid—an outcome that significantly impacted Lando Norris's championship aspirations—and in 2016, he delivered a stunning performance, overtaking the eventual world champion Nico Rosberg around the outside in the rain.

"It's a fantastic track and great for racing," Verstappen noted. "And yes, it has seen some wild races at times, also for me. Winning from the front or coming from the back in the rain races and things like that. It looks like there’s a chance of rain again, so that’s thrilling."

Nevertheless, Verstappen is hesitant to make any forecasts for this year's race. Despite the fact that the Red Bull driver has secured victory in three of the last four Grands Prix, he observed that the top four teams are closely matched and that Ferrari had the quickest package in Austin.

"It's tough to predict anything for this weekend, as I believe the gaps are so narrow at the front that it often comes down to perfecting the setup or the deployment, and all those kinds of factors.

"In recent years, Brazil has consistently been a sprint event. So now I suppose we have a bit more time to prepare the car, which could be beneficial or detrimental. I’m not sure, but we’ll just see how it plays out."