Circuit officials made last-minute corrections to Sepang's starting grid after pole position was painted on the wrong side.

Race officials at Malaysia's Sepang circuit had to repaint the starting grid on Thursday after discovering pole position had been marked on the left side instead of the traditional right. Team representatives spotted the error during track walks on Wednesday.

The mistake occurred due to an administrative error in paperwork preparations, where tracks receive instructions on pole position placement. Malaysian officials had been told to place pole on the left and followed those directions correctly.

FIA inspections on Wednesday quickly identified the problem, requiring extensive repainting work on Thursday. Officials painted over the original pole position lines and renumbered every grid slot, with the former second position becoming the new pole.

The grid repositioning also required moving the official start line, as the incorrect pole had been placed ahead of the timing reference point. The new pole position was still within one meter of regulations but needed the start line moved slightly forward.