Sepang 2026 · Explainer
Why the Bahrain Grand Prix Is Being Held in Malaysia
By Will Tygart · September 28, 2026
If you've looked at this weekend's race and felt confused, you're not alone. The event at Sepang International Circuit on October 2–4 is officially the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. It is not the Malaysian Grand Prix — that race left the calendar in 2017 and hasn't come back. This is Bahrain's race, held 3,700 miles from Bahrain. Here's the full story of how that happened.
What happened in April
Bahrain was supposed to open its 2026 account at home: the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sakhir on April 12, followed by Saudi Arabia on April 19. In February and March, the United States and Israel launched military action against Iran, and the resulting war severely disrupted travel across the Middle East and the Persian Gulf. A Pirelli tyre test in Bahrain was abandoned after the outbreak of fighting.
In March, Formula 1 and the FIA announced that the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix "could not take place on their original dates." Note the wording: postponed, not cancelled. That single word kept the door open. The calendar went quiet for five weeks — Japan on March 29, then nothing until Miami on May 3 — while behind the scenes, F1 hunted for a way to save the Bahrain round.
The July deal
On July 24, Malaysia's youth and sports minister revealed that the prime minister's office had received preliminary word: Sepang might host the Bahrain Grand Prix. Two days later, on July 26, Formula 1 and the FIA confirmed it. Sepang would stage the race from October 2–4, slotted between Azerbaijan and Singapore, with the rest of the calendar untouched — a 23-race season.
The agreement was struck between Formula 1, the FIA, and the governments of Bahrain and Malaysia — Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa on one side, the King of Malaysia on the other — and made subject to final agreements and World Motor Sport Council approval. Saudi Arabia, the other postponed April race, was not rescheduled. Bahrain was saved; Jeddah was not.
F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali called it proof that "the sport has demonstrated its ability to adapt, find solutions, and deliver." FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said safety and wellbeing of teams, officials, volunteers, and fans had been the highest priority throughout.
Why Sepang
Sepang was the obvious stand-in. The circuit never lost its FIA Grade 1 license — the certification Formula 1 requires — and it hosts the Malaysian motorcycle Grand Prix every year, so the bones of a world-class event were already there. It needed work on short notice, but not a miracle.
The logistics helped: early October already had F1 in Asia, so the freight was heading that way for the Azerbaijan–Singapore run. And then there's the romance of it. Sepang hosted the Malaysian Grand Prix from 1999 to 2017 and was always a driver and fan favorite — high-speed, wide, and at the mercy of tropical weather. Nine years away only made the heart grow fonder. The last F1 race here, in 2017, was won by Max Verstappen.
What stays Bahraini
This is the part people get wrong: it's not a Malaysian Grand Prix wearing a costume. In every official sense, it's Bahrain's race. It keeps the Gulf Air title sponsorship, it counts for the championship exactly like any other round, and the money follows the name — Bahrain is covering most of the rescheduling costs and retains ticket pricing rights and race proceeds.
That last detail is why Malaysia said yes so fast. Malaysia pays no FOM hosting fee — the figure SIC puts at US$70 to 80 million — and its own outlay to ready the circuit is around RM40 million. It's the cheapest Grand Prix Malaysia has ever staged, and the country gets a full F1 weekend plus a projected RM1 billion in economic activity for a fraction of the usual price.
Bahrain is also bringing itself to Sepang. The circuit's vending and fan areas will carry Bahraini culture, food, and handicrafts. The race trophy has Bahraini elements. And in one of the weekend's best details, the traditional post-race champagne spray becomes ma'al-ward — a non-alcoholic Bahraini rose-water drink made from locally grown ingredients. More than 560 Bahraini marshals will work the weekend alongside their Malaysian counterparts, with over 100 Bahrain International Circuit personnel deployed and some 5,000 people involved in staging the event.
There's a precedent — and it won't be repeated
F1 has done the borrowed-name thing before. Imola, in Italy, hosted the San Marino Grand Prix from 1981 to 2006 — a whole different country lending its name to a race. But Domenicali has been explicit that this arrangement is a one-off: if Qatar or Abu Dhabi ever couldn't run at Lusail or Yas Marina, they would not be restaged elsewhere under their titles. Bahrain-in-Malaysia is an exception, not a template.
What it means for you at the track
Almost nothing changes about the experience of being there — and that's the point. It's a full championship round: the points count, the cars are the cars, the weekend schedule runs like any other. You'll just notice Bahraini touches around the fan zones, Bahraini food in some form if you're lucky, and a podium ceremony with rose water instead of champagne.
Everything else is pure Sepang: the heat, the 3 PM threat of monsoon rain, the wide sweeping corners. Pack accordingly, grab a ticket if you haven't, and read the race-week guide before you go.
Will it happen again?
Almost certainly not. The 2027 calendar already has Bahrain back at Sakhir as the season opener on March 12–14 — its first-ever sprint weekend. As for a permanent Malaysian Grand Prix, the government's own numbers make it unlikely: this only worked because someone else paid the hosting fee. Enjoy the anomaly. Races like this don't come around twice.
Sources: Formula 1 and FIA announcements of July 26, 2026; reporting by RacingNews365, Business Today Malaysia, and Sea Exchange Asia.
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