Why Is the Bahrain GP in Malaysia? Sepang Start Time, Schedule and What’s Changed
This weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix isn’t in Bahrain. It’s at Sepang, the first F1 race in Malaysia since 2017. Here’s why it moved, when it starts in your time zone, and what the return to Sepang means for the Antonelli–Russell title fight.
Why Is the Bahrain GP in Malaysia?
The reason, start times and F1’s first Sepang race since 2017.
If the F1 calendar looks wrong this weekend, it isn’t. The 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix takes place at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia, from Friday 2 to Sunday 4 October. The race keeps its Bahrain name, but it’s being held thousands of kilometres away, and it’s Formula 1’s first visit to Sepang since 2017.
The short answer to “why”: the original race at Sakhir, scheduled for April, couldn’t go ahead because of the war in the Middle East, and an arrangement was made for Malaysia to stage the event instead. The 56-lap race starts at 3:00 p.m. local time on Sunday, which is 08:00 in the UK and very early morning in the US. Below we explain how it happened, what time everything starts, what’s different about this weekend, and what’s at stake with Kimi Antonelli leading George Russell by 66 points. For the bigger picture of how world events have affected the 2026 calendar, see our report on the geopolitical storm rewriting 2026 motorsport.
Why Is the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia?
The Bahrain Grand Prix was originally scheduled for 12 April 2026 at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, with the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix a week later. Neither took place. After the war involving Iran began at the end of February, with strikes and counter-strikes affecting several countries in the Gulf region, the FIA called off both April races in March, citing the safety of personnel.
Bahrain didn’t simply lose its race, though. An alternative arrangement was agreed: Malaysia’s Sepang circuit would stage the event on Bahrain’s behalf, later in the season. That’s why the race keeps the formal title of the Bahrain Grand Prix, even though it takes place in Malaysia. It’s now round 16 of the 2026 championship.
F1 has a precedent. Between 1981 and 2006, the San Marino Grand Prix was held at Imola, in Italy, not in San Marino itself. A Grand Prix’s name and its host circuit don’t always match. Our explainer on what a Grand Prix is covers how F1 events are organised.
The Middle East situation also affects the end of the season. F1 is expected to confirm by mid-October whether the Qatar (29 November) and Abu Dhabi (6 December) races go ahead, with Imola reported as a standby option. Baku’s race also moved to a Saturday this year, for a different reason: see why the Azerbaijan GP was on a Saturday.
Bahrain GP at Sepang: Start Times
The race starts at 15:00 Malaysia time (MYT) on Sunday 4 October, which is 07:00 UTC. Here’s every session:
| Session | Day | Sepang (MYT) | UK (BST) | US Eastern | India | Bangladesh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practice 1 | Fri 2 Oct | 12:30 | 05:30 | 00:30 | 10:00 | 10:30 |
| Practice 2 | Fri 2 Oct | 16:00 | 09:00 | 04:00 | 13:30 | 14:00 |
| Practice 3 | Sat 3 Oct | 12:30 | 05:30 | 00:30 | 10:00 | 10:30 |
| Qualifying | Sat 3 Oct | 16:00 | 09:00 | 04:00 | 13:30 | 14:00 |
| Race RACE | Sun 4 Oct | 15:00 | 08:00 | 03:00 | 12:30 | 13:00 |
In the US, the race starts at 3:00 a.m. Eastern / midnight Pacific, so set an alarm or plan to watch the replay. It’s a standard weekend with no Sprint. The next Sprint is in Singapore a week later.
How to watch
UK: Sky Sports F1 and the Sky Sports app, or a NOW day/month pass. US: Apple TV, F1’s US broadcaster from 2026. Elsewhere: F1 TV Pro or your local rights holder. Our guide to where to watch Formula 1 lists every country.
What’s Changed for This Weekend
A track the current cars have never raced on. F1 last raced at Sepang in 2017. No 2026-specification car, with its active aerodynamics and roughly 50/50 hybrid power, has ever turned a lap there in a race, so teams start the weekend with little relevant data. Practice will matter more than usual.
A track most of the grid has never raced on in F1. Many of today’s drivers, including both title contenders, Antonelli and Russell, have never started a Formula 1 race at Sepang. Only the longest-serving drivers have experience. Pierre Gasly made his F1 debut at the 2017 Malaysian Grand Prix, and Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have all won here.
Heat, humidity and rain. Sepang is one of the hottest and most humid races on the calendar, and tropical thunderstorms can arrive with little warning. Forecasts point to a warm, mostly dry weekend, but a sudden shower is never far away in Malaysia.
Mercedes’ special livery. Mercedes’ title partner Petronas is Malaysian, so this is effectively a home race for the sponsor. The team has revealed a special livery for the weekend and is bringing an upgrade package.
A grid penalty from Baku. Alpine’s Franco Colapinto starts with a five-place grid penalty for the Turn 1 restart incident in Azerbaijan, which also took out Pierre Gasly and Lando Norris.
Sepang International Circuit Guide
| Fact | Sepang International Circuit |
|---|---|
| Location | Sepang, near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
| Designed by | Hermann Tilke |
| First F1 race | 1999 |
| Last F1 race before 2026 | 2017 (won by Max Verstappen) |
| Lap length | 5.543 km (3.44 miles) |
| Corners | 15 |
| Race distance | 56 laps |
Sepang was the first of the modern Tilke-designed circuits, and it’s still regarded as one of the best. The lap starts with a long run to the tight right-hander at Turn 1, which leads straight into the left at Turn 2, a classic first-lap trouble spot. The middle of the lap is made up of fast, flowing corners that test high-speed downforce, especially the quick esses at Turns 5 and 6.
The lap ends with two long straights either side of the final hairpin. These are the main overtaking spots, and in 2026 they’re where the new active aero and overtake mode will matter most. Heavy braking into Turn 1 and the final hairpin also makes the slipstream a key weapon.
Malaysian Grand Prix history
Sebastian Vettel won at Sepang four times, more than any other driver. Of the current grid, Fernando Alonso has three wins here (2005, 2007 and 2012), and Lewis Hamilton (2014) and Max Verstappen (2017) have one each. Verstappen’s 2017 victory, the last F1 race at the circuit, came the day after his 20th birthday.
What It Means for the Title Fight
Russell won in Baku on 26 September, while Antonelli recovered from 16th on the grid to fifth after a qualifying crash. That cut the lead from 81 points to 66:
| Pos | Driver | Team | Points | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kimi Antonelli LEADER | Mercedes | 302 | — |
| 2 | George Russell | Mercedes | 236 | −66 |
| 3 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 199 | −103 |
| 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 186 | −116 |
| 5 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 179 | −123 |
| 6 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 163 | −139 |
The title can’t be decided at Sepang: after this race, 183 points remain. But a new track levels the playing field. Neither Mercedes driver has raced an F1 car here, so the driver who adapts faster in practice could take a big step. A Russell win with Antonelli fifth or lower would cut the gap to 51 or less; an Antonelli win would push it back to 73 or more, heading into Singapore’s Sprint weekend.
Read more in how Baku changed the Antonelli–Russell title fight, our Singapore GP title watch, and how Antonelli can clinch the title.
A “Bahrain” Grand Prix in Malaysia, at a track the 2026 cars have never raced on, with a 66-point title gap. Sepang could be the most unpredictable race of the run-in.
Bahrain GP at Sepang: Result
The race starts at 15:00 Malaysia time (08:00 UK). We’ll add the qualifying result, the race winner, the full classification and the updated championship standings here.
Bahrain GP in Malaysia — FAQ
Bahrain’s race, Malaysia’s track
The 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix is one of the strangest entries on any F1 calendar: Bahrain’s race, run at Sepang, nine years after Formula 1 last visited Malaysia. It’s a reminder of how much world events have shaped this season, and it puts a near-unknown track right into the middle of the title fight.
The lights go out at 15:00 local time on Sunday. We’ll add the result and updated standings straight after the race.
