F1 Returns to Sepang in 2026 as the Bahrain Grand Prix, and Why It's a Big Deal

[The_Mechanic]

It has been almost ten years since Formula 1 last raced in Malaysia. Max Verstappen won the final race at Sepang International Circuit back in 2017. Since then, F1 has focused more on street circuits like Las Vegas, Miami and Madrid.

So it was big news when F1 and the FIA confirmed that Sepang is returning to the calendar, from October 2 to 4, 2026. But the story behind this race is more complicated than it first looks, and worth understanding properly

1. Why a Race in Malaysia Is Called the "Bahrain" Grand Prix​

If you check the official 2026 calendar, there is no "Malaysian Grand Prix." Instead, the entry reads: Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.

Here is why. Earlier this year, F1's planned races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in April were cancelled. Both countries were targeted by Iranian missiles and drones, following US and Israeli strikes on Iran.

With the security situation in the Gulf too uncertain for a rescheduled date, F1 was at risk of losing a race from the 2026 calendar completely, which would have brought the season down to 22 rounds.



Instead of simply dropping the race, Bahrain, Malaysia, F1 and the FIA reached an agreement. Bahrain keeps the naming rights and the government backing, including the Gulf Air sponsorship. Sepang provides the circuit and handles the on-the-ground organisation.

Bahrain is reportedly covering much of the cost, as a way of showing continued support for the sport, even though the race will happen more than 6,500 km away from its usual home in Sakhir.

As of late July, the race is still officially "subject to final agreements and sign-off," including approval from the FIA's World Motor Sport Council. This is expected to be a formality, but it has not been confirmed yet.

This kind of arrangement is unusual, but not completely new in motorsport:

• San Marino GP, held at Imola in Italy, not San Marino.
• Luxembourg GP, held at the Nürburgring in Germany.
• Swiss GP, held at Dijon in France, after Switzerland banned circuit racing following the 1955 Le Mans disaster.

What is new here is a race being moved to a completely different continent in the same season, while keeping the original sponsor's name.

Where It Sits on the Calendar​

This race is Round 16, forming a tough Asian triple header together with Azerbaijan and Singapore, running from September 26 to October 11. Three flyaway races in a row, with almost no rest between them, will be demanding for every team.

A Homecoming, Not a New Venue​

Sepang is not new to F1. It hosted the Malaysian Grand Prix every year from 1999 to 2017, 19 races in total, and played a big part in growing F1's presence in Asia.

Lewis Hamilton had his most recent Sepang win in 2014, and Verstappen closed out the track's run in 2017. For fans who grew up going to Sepang every year, this feels less like something new and more like an old friend coming back.

2. How the New 2026 Rules Will Play Out at Sepang​

Hermann Tilke designed Sepang before today's high-downforce cars existed, but the layout is still well regarded by drivers for how technical and flowing it is.

The 2026 regulations are the biggest change since the current V6 hybrid engines began in 2014, and they add a new layer of interest to a track everyone thought they already knew well.

Active Aero: Straight Mode and Corner Mode​

The biggest change for 2026 is the end of DRS. In its place, cars now have active aerodynamics, meaning the front and rear wings physically change shape between corners and straights.

• Corner Mode (known during development as "Z-mode") is the high-downforce setting, used by default through corners and braking zones.
• Straight Mode ("X-mode") is a low-drag setting that opens up the wings for higher top speed. Every driver can use this on the straights, not only the car behind trying to overtake.

Because Straight Mode is available to everyone, it does not work as an overtaking tool the way DRS used to.

Overtaking instead comes from a separate Manual Override (Overtake) Mode, which gives extra electrical power from the MGU-K to a driver within one second of the car ahead.

This is a genuinely different way of overtaking compared to the DRS era. Sepang's two 1km straights, separated by the tight Turn 15 hairpin, will be one of the better places on the calendar to see how this system actually works in a race.

The 50/50 Power Unit and Sepang's Heat​

The 2026 power units move to a near 50/50 split between the combustion engine and electric power, compared to roughly 80/20 today. This is a large increase in what the battery and MGU-K need to handle.

• Energy harvesting: heavy braking into Turn 1, Turn 9 and Turn 15 will matter a lot for recharging the battery ahead of each lap.
• Tropical heat: Sepang regularly sees temperatures around 34°C with humidity above 80%. This is a harder thermal environment for batteries and electronics than most of the calendar.
  Since almost none of the current grid has raced here before, teams will be working with real unknowns rather than familiar setups.

New power units, new active aero, and a track no current driver has raced on, all at the same time. That is a good recipe for an unpredictable weekend at Sepang, even before the weather gets involved.

3. A Simple Guide for Fans Attending​

If you plan to go to the race in October, a Sepang weekend needs a bit more planning than a typical European round.

Grandstand Guide​

Grandstand	Good For	What to Expect
Main Grandstand (North/South)	Comfort and pit lane action	Covered shade, view of the pit lane, grid walk before the race, and Turn 15 exit.
K1 Grandstand	First lap action	Clear view of the Turn 1 to 2 braking zone, where first lap incidents often happen.
C2 Hillstand	Lower cost, relaxed atmosphere	Open, grassy area with wide views across the back straights, good for a picnic style visit.

Weather in October​

October falls in Malaysia's inter monsoon season, and Sepang's weather is well known among people who have attended before.

1. Afternoon rain: heavy rain tends to arrive in the mid to late afternoon, which often overlaps with race start times. Mornings and qualifying sessions are usually hot and humid, but there is a real chance of sudden, heavy rain, sometimes strong enough to bring out a red flag, during the race itself.
2. What to bring: a light poncho works better than an umbrella, since umbrellas block other people's views in the grandstands and are often not allowed in. Waterproof bags for your phone and camera are worth bringing. Sunscreen and enough water matter just as much, since the heat before the rain can be the bigger problem for most people.

Getting There and Back​

• Traffic after the race: the drive back to Kuala Lumpur on Sunday evening has always been heavy, and with a bigger crowd expected after almost ten years away, it may be worse than before.
• Recommended route: KLIA Transit or Express from KL Sentral to KLIA, then the official circuit shuttle bus. This usually avoids most of the highway traffic.
• Book early: with Sepang off the calendar for so long, and strong interest expected for its return, hotels and tickets around the Sepang and KLIA area may sell out faster than a usual F1 weekend.

4. What Malaysia, F1 and the Fans Are Saying​

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced the deal himself, first on Facebook, after speaking directly with Bahrain's Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa and F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali.

His framing has focused heavily on cost.

Anwar has pointed out that Malaysia is not paying the usual FIA hosting or registration fee this time around, since Bahrain is covering that side of the deal as the official title sponsor.

According to Anwar, the government's own spending will be limited to around RM16 million for minor upgrades to the Sepang track, which is currently used for general vehicle and motorcycle activities alongside racing.

For comparison, he noted that hosting the race back in 2017 cost hundreds of millions of ringgit. He has described this as proof that Malaysia can host a world class event again, without the price tag that came with it the last time.

Why Sepang, Specifically: The Singapore Connection​

One detail that did not make it into most headlines is why Sepang was the practical answer, not just an available one.

Sepang sits only around 300km from Singapore, which already has a race on the calendar the following weekend. That made it a workable, low-friction slot for F1 to drop into an already-planned Asian swing, rather than building a new travel route from scratch.

The Azerbaijan round just before it is also being run on a Saturday specifically to make the back-to-back-to-back travel between Baku, Sepang and Singapore more manageable for the teams.

It is also worth watching what happens later in the year. The same regional conflict that forced Bahrain and Saudi Arabia off the April calendar is still being cited as a risk to the season-closing races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

If either of those is affected, Imola and Portimão have both been mentioned as possible stand-in venues, following the same logic used for Sepang.

Inside the Paddock and Among Fans​

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem called the arrangement a source of pride for everyone involved in putting it together, crediting the FIA, Formula One Management and both governments for making it happen on short notice.

Mercedes leaned into the nostalgia angle in their own statement, pointing out that Sepang holds a special place in the team's history: it was the site of their first podium finish after returning to F1 in 2010, when Nico Rosberg finished third.

Fan reaction, at least online, has been more enthusiastic than most calendar reshuffles usually get. Comments on Reddit and elsewhere have leaned strongly positive, with many longtime fans specifically calling Sepang one of the best circuits on the old calendar and hoping this one-off appearance turns into a permanent return in future seasons.

Whether that happens will likely depend on how strong ticket sales and TV audiences are this October, the same factors that saw Malaysia drop off the calendar in the first place back in 2017.

In Short​

Whether you see it as a classic circuit returning, or as one of the more unusual naming situations in F1 history, the "Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia" is both.

A conflict disrupted the original calendar, two governments worked out an unusual solution, and a well loved old circuit gets a race weekend again, this time against a car it has never seen before.

Mark October 2 to 4 on your calendar. Whatever name it carries, this is a weekend people will be talking about for a while.

Note: this race is still subject to final sign off from the FIA World Motor Sport Council at the time of writing. Ticket release details are expected closer to the date.