Formula 1 heads to Sepang for relocated Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia

Relocation from Bahrain to Sepang

Formula One returns to Malaysia on October 4 for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, stepping in after conflict in the Middle East disrupted the calendar. The race at the Sepang International Circuit was scheduled after Bahrain's original round and the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix were called off when Iran struck both countries following US and Israeli airstrikes. To offset financial losses from losing two regional events, race organizers relocated the event 3,750 miles (6,000 kilometers) away while retaining Bahrain's official naming. Bahrain Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa cited the relocation as evidence of his country's commitment to the championship. The setup mirrors previous arrangements from the 1980s and 1990s, when Switzerland, San Marino, and Luxembourg served as official race hosts for events held on foreign soil.

Title battle and driver standings

Mercedes enters the race weekend leading both championships. Kimi Antonelli holds first place in the drivers' standings, leading teammate George Russell by 66 points, with Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton in third place, 103 points behind. Mercedes also leads the constructors' championship by 160 points over Ferrari. Russell arrives in Malaysia following a victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku, where he defeated Max Verstappen by 0.196 seconds. Antonelli, seeking to become Italy's first world champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953, finished fifth in Baku after a practice hydraulics failure and qualifying crash forced him to start 16th.

Sepang track return and grid experience

Sepang has not staged a Formula One race since 2017, when the Malaysian government stepped back due to hosting expenses. Only 10 of the 22 drivers on the current grid have previously competed at the circuit, and only three have won there: Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, and Verstappen. Twelve drivers will make their Sepang Formula One debuts this weekend. Russell remarked that his prior familiarity with the layout came entirely from video games.

This is our first time racing here in Sepang, and it was actually my favorite circuit as a kid when I used to drive on the PlayStation.

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur confirmed that the team will introduce car upgrades, while dismissing the relevance of historical performance numbers from 2017 due to comprehensive chassis, engine, and tire changes under the 2026 rules.

We will bring upgrades and we will continue to push until the last corner.

Weather and air quality variables

Drivers face uncertain track conditions throughout the weekend at Sepang. Weather forecasts predict rain and thunderstorms, setting up the potential for the first wet race under the 2026 technical regulations. In addition to potential rain, thick haze from forest fires in Indonesia has reduced air quality across parts of Malaysia.

From what I've heard when it rains here, it's quite heavy. So we try to be ready for anything but also it will be the first time we'll be on track with the wet tires.

The Malaysian round sits directly between the Baku race and next week's Singapore Grand Prix as teams enter the final eight race weekends of the campaign.