https://github.com/openshift/api/pull/1186 - https://issues.redhat.com/browse/CONSOLE-3069 promoted ConsolePlugin CRD to v1.

The PR introduces also a conversion webhook from v1alpha1 to v1.

In new CRD version I18n ConsolePluginI18n is marked as optional.
The conversion webhook will not set a default valid ("Lazy"/"Preload") value writing the v1 object and a v1 object completely omitting spec.i18n will be accepted we no valid default value as well.

On the other side, at garbage collection time the object will be stuck forever due to the lack of a valid value for spec.i18n.loadType

Example,
create a v1 ConsolePlugin object:

cat <<EOF | oc apply -f -
apiVersion: console.openshift.io/v1
kind: ConsolePlugin
metadata:
  name: test472
spec:
  backend:
    service:
      basePath: /
      name: test472-service
      namespace: kubevirt-hyperconverged
      port: 9443
    type: Service
  displayName: Test 472 Plugin
EOF

Delete it in foreground mode:
stirabos@t14s:~$ oc delete consoleplugin test472 --timeout=30s --cascade='foreground' -v 7
I1011 18:20:03.255605   31610 loader.go:372] Config loaded from file:  /home/stirabos/.kube/config
I1011 18:20:03.266567   31610 round_trippers.go:463] DELETE https://api.ci-ln-krdzphb-72292.gcp-2.ci.openshift.org:6443/apis/console.openshift.io/v1/consoleplugins/test472
I1011 18:20:03.266581   31610 round_trippers.go:469] Request Headers:
I1011 18:20:03.266588   31610 round_trippers.go:473]     Accept: application/json
I1011 18:20:03.266594   31610 round_trippers.go:473]     Content-Type: application/json
I1011 18:20:03.266600   31610 round_trippers.go:473]     User-Agent: oc/4.11.0 (linux/amd64) kubernetes/fcf512e
I1011 18:20:03.266606   31610 round_trippers.go:473]     Authorization: Bearer <masked>
I1011 18:20:03.688569   31610 round_trippers.go:574] Response Status: 200 OK in 421 milliseconds
consoleplugin.console.openshift.io "test472" deleted
I1011 18:20:03.688911   31610 round_trippers.go:463] GET https://api.ci-ln-krdzphb-72292.gcp-2.ci.openshift.org:6443/apis/console.openshift.io/v1/consoleplugins?fieldSelector=metadata.name%3Dtest472
I1011 18:20:03.688919   31610 round_trippers.go:469] Request Headers:
I1011 18:20:03.688928   31610 round_trippers.go:473]     Authorization: Bearer <masked>
I1011 18:20:03.688935   31610 round_trippers.go:473]     Accept: application/json
I1011 18:20:03.688941   31610 round_trippers.go:473]     User-Agent: oc/4.11.0 (linux/amd64) kubernetes/fcf512e
I1011 18:20:03.840103   31610 round_trippers.go:574] Response Status: 200 OK in 151 milliseconds
I1011 18:20:03.840825   31610 round_trippers.go:463] GET https://api.ci-ln-krdzphb-72292.gcp-2.ci.openshift.org:6443/apis/console.openshift.io/v1/consoleplugins?fieldSelector=metadata.name%3Dtest472&resourceVersion=175205&watch=true
I1011 18:20:03.840848   31610 round_trippers.go:469] Request Headers:
I1011 18:20:03.840884   31610 round_trippers.go:473]     Accept: application/json
I1011 18:20:03.840907   31610 round_trippers.go:473]     User-Agent: oc/4.11.0 (linux/amd64) kubernetes/fcf512e
I1011 18:20:03.840928   31610 round_trippers.go:473]     Authorization: Bearer <masked>
I1011 18:20:03.972219   31610 round_trippers.go:574] Response Status: 200 OK in 131 milliseconds
error: timed out waiting for the condition on consoleplugins/test472

and in kube-controller-manager logs we see:

2022-10-11T16:25:32.192864016Z I1011 16:25:32.192788       1 garbagecollector.go:501] "Processing object" object="test472" objectUID=0cc46a01-113b-4bbe-9c7a-829a97d6867c kind="ConsolePlugin" virtual=false
2022-10-11T16:25:32.282303274Z I1011 16:25:32.282161       1 garbagecollector.go:623] remove DeleteDependents finalizer for item [console.openshift.io/v1/ConsolePlugin, namespace: , name: test472, uid: 0cc46a01-113b-4bbe-9c7a-829a97d6867c]
2022-10-11T16:25:32.304835330Z E1011 16:25:32.304730       1 garbagecollector.go:379] error syncing item &garbagecollector.node{identity:garbagecollector.objectReference{OwnerReference:v1.OwnerReference{APIVersion:"console.openshift.io/v1", Kind:"ConsolePlugin", Name:"test472", UID:"0cc46a01-113b-4bbe-9c7a-829a97d6867c", Controller:(*bool)(nil), BlockOwnerDeletion:(*bool)(nil)}, Namespace:""}, dependentsLock:sync.RWMutex{w:sync.Mutex{state:0, sema:0x0}, writerSem:0x0, readerSem:0x0, readerCount:1, readerWait:0}, dependents:map[*garbagecollector.node]struct {}{}, deletingDependents:true, deletingDependentsLock:sync.RWMutex{w:sync.Mutex{state:0, sema:0x0}, writerSem:0x0, readerSem:0x0, readerCount:0, readerWait:0}, beingDeleted:true, beingDeletedLock:sync.RWMutex{w:sync.Mutex{state:0, sema:0x0}, writerSem:0x0, readerSem:0x0, readerCount:0, readerWait:0}, virtual:false, virtualLock:sync.RWMutex{w:sync.Mutex{state:0, sema:0x0}, writerSem:0x0, readerSem:0x0, readerCount:0, readerWait:0}, owners:[]v1.OwnerReference(nil)}: ConsolePlugin.console.openshift.io "test472" is invalid: spec.i18n.loadType: Unsupported value: "": supported values: "Preload", "Lazy"

OCP 4.12.0 ec4

100% 

1. cat <<EOF | oc apply -f -
apiVersion: console.openshift.io/v1
kind: ConsolePlugin
metadata:
  name: test472
spec:
  backend:
    service:
      basePath: /
      name: test472-service
      namespace: kubevirt-hyperconverged
      port: 9443
    type: Service
  displayName: Test 472 Plugin
EOF

2. oc delete consoleplugin test472 --timeout=30s --cascade='foreground' -v 7

2022-10-11T16:25:32.192864016Z I1011 16:25:32.192788       1 garbagecollector.go:501] "Processing object" object="test472" objectUID=0cc46a01-113b-4bbe-9c7a-829a97d6867c kind="ConsolePlugin" virtual=false
2022-10-11T16:25:32.282303274Z I1011 16:25:32.282161       1 garbagecollector.go:623] remove DeleteDependents finalizer for item [console.openshift.io/v1/ConsolePlugin, namespace: , name: test472, uid: 0cc46a01-113b-4bbe-9c7a-829a97d6867c]
2022-10-11T16:25:32.304835330Z E1011 16:25:32.304730       1 garbagecollector.go:379] error syncing item &garbagecollector.node{identity:garbagecollector.objectReference{OwnerReference:v1.OwnerReference{APIVersion:"console.openshift.io/v1", Kind:"ConsolePlugin", Name:"test472", UID:"0cc46a01-113b-4bbe-9c7a-829a97d6867c", Controller:(*bool)(nil), BlockOwnerDeletion:(*bool)(nil)}, Namespace:""}, dependentsLock:sync.RWMutex{w:sync.Mutex{state:0, sema:0x0}, writerSem:0x0, readerSem:0x0, readerCount:1, readerWait:0}, dependents:map[*garbagecollector.node]struct {}{}, deletingDependents:true, deletingDependentsLock:sync.RWMutex{w:sync.Mutex{state:0, sema:0x0}, writerSem:0x0, readerSem:0x0, readerCount:0, readerWait:0}, beingDeleted:true, beingDeletedLock:sync.RWMutex{w:sync.Mutex{state:0, sema:0x0}, writerSem:0x0, readerSem:0x0, readerCount:0, readerWait:0}, virtual:false, virtualLock:sync.RWMutex{w:sync.Mutex{state:0, sema:0x0}, writerSem:0x0, readerSem:0x0, readerCount:0, readerWait:0}, owners:[]v1.OwnerReference(nil)}: ConsolePlugin.console.openshift.io "test472" is invalid: spec.i18n.loadType: Unsupported value: "": supported values: "Preload", "Lazy"

Object correctly deleted

The issue doesn't happen with --cascade='background' which is the default on the CLI client