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Formula 1's governing body, the FIA, said it will carry out a full review of a software-related power loss that disrupted the start of the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday.
Several cars slowed dramatically or stopped during the formation lap.
The race was held at Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia, south of the capital Kuala Lumpur, after Formula 1 and the FIA agreed to relocate the event amid regional challenges.
The FIA said an "unprecedented combination" of low engine speed, low-grip conditions, wet-weather energy management settings and the circuit configuration caused a number of cars to lose power.
It said neither the FIA nor the teams detected the problem during testing or laps to the grid.
Heavy rain delayed the start by 40 minutes. During the delay, the FIA Technical Department removed the energy limit constraint in the affected sectors through a software update sent to all competitors, allowing teams to make the necessary power unit changes before the race.
"The FIA, together with the teams and Power Unit manufacturers, will undertake a full review of the issue," the governing body said.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen, the eventual winner, said increasingly complex power units and their reliance on software contributed to the problem. He said he was the first driver to encounter it and saw others struggling in his mirrors.
"It was like the Lego race," he said, referring to the drivers' parade at this year's British Grand Prix in which drivers raced life-sized Lego cars. He added that cars were five-wide on the straight at one point because drivers could not understand what was happening.
Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton said his car slowed until he had to stop on track. "I had to stop on track and stop the car and engine and restart it. I've never done that before," the seven-time world champion said.
Verstappen beat Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli. Hamilton recovered from 18th place after an unsuccessful tire gamble to finish third.
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