F1 Racing in Different Country than GP Title
Despite the location, this weekend’s F1 race is not the Malaysian Grand Prix.
Formula 1 heads somewhere both familiar and completely unexpected this weekend. The 2026 Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia will take place October 2-4 at Sepang International Circuit, marking Formula 1’s first championship race at the Malaysian circuit since 2017.
The unusual event came together after the original Bahrain round could not proceed as planned amid regional conflict. Rather than remove the race entirely, Formula 1 relocated the event to Sepang, creating one of the stranger entries in modern Grand Prix history: a Bahrain Grand Prix being contested thousands of miles away in Malaysia.
Formula 1 Returns to Sepang After Nine Years
Sepang was one of the defining new Formula 1 circuits of the late 1990s. The 5.543-kilometer track opened in 1999 and became known for its combination of long straights, fast corners, heavy braking zones and Malaysia’s notoriously unpredictable weather. Drivers will complete 56 laps on Sunday for a race distance of just over 310 kilometers.
The last Malaysian Grand Prix was held in 2017, when Max Verstappen won for Red Bull ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Daniel Ricciardo. That gives Verstappen the unusual distinction of returning as the most recent Formula 1 winner at Sepang, despite nearly a decade having passed since the championship last raced there.
That alone gives the weekend historical weight. Sepang is not returning as a conventional revived Malaysian Grand Prix, but instead as the temporary home of another country’s race. For longtime Formula 1 fans, seeing current-generation cars back on one of the sport’s most recognizable modern circuits should be one of the most interesting spectacles of the season.
The Championship Fight Arrives in Malaysia
2014 Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix (Habeed Hameed)
The championship battle adds another layer of intrigue to the weekend. Kimi Antonelli and George Russell have emerged as major figures in the 2026 title fight, with Russell carrying momentum after a strong result in Azerbaijan and Antonelli still trying to protect his advantage.
Antonelli has been one of the biggest stories of the season, turning his raw speed into multiple victories while showing he can compete at the front against far more experienced drivers. Russell, meanwhile, has remained close enough to keep the pressure on and has demonstrated the consistency Mercedes needs as the season enters its later stages.
Then there is Verstappen. He returns to the scene of his 2017 Sepang victory and remains one of the drivers most likely to disrupt the Mercedes battle if Red Bull has the pace. With long straights, high-speed direction changes and the possibility of changing weather, Sepang could provide exactly the kind of unpredictable race that shakes up a championship fight.
A Strange Race That Could Become an Important Piece of F1 History
The weekend begins with practice on Friday, October 2, followed by final practice and qualifying on Saturday. The race is scheduled for Sunday, October 4. What makes this event particularly memorable may ultimately have little to do with who wins. Formula 1 has altered calendars before because of war, pandemics and logistical emergencies, and it has occasionally staged multiple races at the same circuit. But a Bahrain Grand Prix held at Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia is the kind of entry future fans may stumble across in the record books and have to read twice.
For enthusiasts who remember Sepang’s original Formula 1 era, the weekend also offers an unexpected chance to see one of the sport’s great modern circuits come alive again. Whether this remains a one-off curiosity or helps open the door to Malaysia returning permanently is another question. For now, Formula 1 is going back to Sepang — just not in the way anyone expected.
