Formula 1 is going back to Malaysia. The Sepang International Circuit near Kuala Lumpur will host a Grand Prix on 2–4 October 2026 — a race officially titled the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, staged on behalf of Bahrain after the Gulf state’s own round was called off earlier this season because of the war in the Middle East.
The announcement, confirmed by Formula 1 on Sunday, hands the sport a 23-race season with the rest of the 2026 calendar unchanged, and brings one of the most popular circuits of the modern era back to the schedule for the first time since 2017. It also leaves the door open for further upheaval: the season-closing races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi remain in doubt, with F1 preparing contingency plans that could end the championship in Europe instead.
Sepang returns: the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia
Under the arrangement confirmed this week, the race at Sepang will be known as the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia and will take place on the weekend of 2–4 October — exactly one week before the event in neighbouring Singapore. A statement from Formula 1 said the deal meant the sport would “deliver 23 races for the 2026 season” and that “the rest of the schedule remains unchanged”.
It is a striking twist of fate for a race weekend. Malaysia’s own Grand Prix dropped off the calendar after 2017, when the country decided to end its F1 involvement. Nine years later, Sepang returns not under its own name but as a stand-in venue for a race that has been a fixture on the calendar since 2004 — and whose host nation has been at the centre of a conflict that has already reshaped this season.
“We are delighted to confirm that Malaysia will host the Bahrain Grand Prix in 2026. Once again, the sport has demonstrated its ability to adapt, find solutions, and deliver, creating an exciting moment for everyone who follows Formula 1.”
Stefano Domenicali, F1 president and chief executive
Domenicali thanked King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain, Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa and Malaysia’s King Sultan Ibrahim, along with their governments, for making the arrangement possible. He added: “Malaysia is an incredible country, and Sepang holds a special place in Formula 1 history. It will provide a spectacular setting for racing and an unforgettable experience for fans at the circuit and watching around the world.”
A circuit with real history
Sepang is not just any replacement venue. Built near Kuala Lumpur International Airport and opened in 1999, the Hermann Tilke-designed circuit — roughly 5.5 km with 15 corners — quickly earned a reputation as one of the most demanding and popular tracks on the calendar. Its combination of long straights, heavy braking zones, sweeping fast corners and brutal tropical heat made it a favourite among drivers, and its location in a region famous for sudden afternoon thunderstorms meant rain was almost always a possibility.
Malaysia hosted a Grand Prix every year from 1999 to 2017, and the list of winners reads like a roll-call of the sport’s greats:
- 1999: Eddie Irvine won the inaugural race for Ferrari, a result that helped seal the constructors’ title for the Scuderia
- 2003: Kimi Räikkönen claimed his first ever Formula 1 victory at Sepang for McLaren
- 2015: Sebastian Vettel ended Mercedes’ early-season dominance with Ferrari’s first win of the hybrid era
- 2016: Daniel Ricciardo triumphed after Lewis Hamilton’s engine failed while he was leading
- 2017: Max Verstappen won the farewell race — his second career victory — as Malaysia bowed out of F1
The circuit has never lost its fan base. Sepang continues to draw enormous crowds for MotoGP — whose Malaysian round is a perennial highlight of that championship — and the prospect of F1 machinery returning to its sweeping final corner complex has generated genuine excitement among Malaysian motorsport fans. The last grand prix staged there, in 2017, was won by Verstappen for Red Bull, and that result remains the most recent F1 race in the country.
Why Bahrain needed a stand-in
The Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix were originally scheduled for April 2026, but both were called off in March as a result of the war launched by the US and Israel against Iran. Bahrain, in particular, is a deeply personal project for the country’s ruling family: the Sakhir circuit hosted its first Grand Prix in 2004 and has been a constant presence on the calendar since, converting to its distinctive floodlit night-race format in 2014.
The arrangement between Bahrain and Malaysia was heavily influenced by Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, who has championed the Bahrain Grand Prix since its debut. The link between the Gulf state and the paddock runs deeper than race hosting: Bahrain’s sovereign investment fund, Mumtalakat, is the owner of the McLaren Formula 1 team — a connection that kept the Bahrain race close to the sport’s commercial heart even as the conflict forced its cancellation.
For F1, keeping the round on the calendar matters beyond prestige. The sport is keen to host at least 21 races in a season: falling below that threshold would activate contractual clauses that could force F1 to repay rights fees to broadcasters, and could have similar consequences for teams’ sponsorship budgets. The Malaysian solution ensures the 2026 campaign stays comfortably above that line.
The cloud over Qatar and Abu Dhabi
While the Malaysia announcement removes one headache, it does not remove the underlying problem. The final two scheduled races of the season — Qatar and Abu Dhabi — remain in doubt because of the same conflict, and F1 is already working on contingency plans in case they cannot go ahead.
According to F1 president Stefano Domenicali, a final decision does not have to be made until September, but the contingency work is well advanced:
- Imola, Italy is the most likely replacement if the season needs a late European finale
- Portimão, Portugal and Istanbul Park, Turkey are under consideration but considered significantly less likely — both circuits have construction work to complete before their official return to the calendar in 2027, and hosting a race in early December would make that far harder
- The Las Vegas Grand Prix on 21 November would become the penultimate round in that scenario, with the championship potentially ending in Europe
“For us today, the races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi are confirmed. By the way, they are already sold out. That is an incredible sign of how much the sport is bigger than the problem that our world is living. But of course, if the situation will not be cleared the way that we believe it should be, before the middle of September we will take the decision. If this will not be possible, the end of the season will be in Europe, because we cannot go in other places.”
Stefano Domenicali
Domenicali has ruled out running two races in Las Vegas to fill the gap, saying F1 does not want to devalue “a jewel that is growing” — particularly in a period of the year when the sport is competing with the NFL for American viewers.
What it means for the 2026 season
The practical effect of the announcement is a 23-round calendar that keeps the championship on track through the autumn. Kimi Antonelli, who extended his championship lead by winning the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa, now knows the title run-in will pass through Sepang in October — a circuit none of the current grid has raced in F1 before, since the last Malaysian Grand Prix took place in 2017.
That unfamiliarity is one of the most intriguing sub-plots. Sepang’s combination of high-speed corners, long straights and extreme heat will punish anyone whose car lacks balance or reliability, and a mid-season visit adds a genuinely unpredictable element to the title fight. For the sport’s new 50-50 hybrid power units — which have already divided opinion among drivers this season — the humidity and heat of Kuala Lumpur will provide one of the toughest tests of the year.
The longer-term picture is brighter still for fans of classic venues. Portimão and Istanbul Park are both scheduled to return to the calendar in 2027, and Malaysia’s successful stand-in role could strengthen the case for a permanent comeback further down the line. Domenicali also confirmed that the 2027 season opener will return to Bahrain after two years of starting the year in Australia, owing to the timing of Ramadan — assuming the situation in the Middle East has stabilised by then.
What’s next
Between now and Sepang, the key dates to watch are:
- September: the deadline for a decision on whether Qatar and Abu Dhabi can go ahead, with Imola the leading fallback for a European finale
- 2–4 October: the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia at Sepang, one week before Singapore
- 21 November: the Las Vegas Grand Prix, which could become the penultimate round if the season’s final races are relocated
For now, though, the headline is simple: after nine years away, Formula 1 is coming back to Sepang — and it brings an extraordinary story with it.
Key takeaways
- Malaysia will host the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia at Sepang on 2–4 October 2026, a week before Singapore
- The 2026 season now delivers 23 races, with the rest of the schedule unchanged
- Bahrain and Saudi Arabia’s April rounds were called off in March because of the war in the Middle East; Sepang last hosted F1 in 2017, when Max Verstappen won the farewell race
- Qatar and Abu Dhabi remain uncertain, with a decision due by September and Imola the most likely European replacement
- F1 needs at least 21 races to avoid contractual penalties with broadcasters and sponsors — the Malaysia deal keeps the season comfortably above that
