F1 Bahrain GP Moves to Sepang

Formula 1’s Round 16 is the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia 2026, a one-off weekend at the Sepang International Circuit from Friday–Sunday, 2⁠–⁠4 October, after Bahrain’s April date was cancelled over Middle East hostilities; Bahrain still titles the race while paying the hosting fees (formula1.com; The Independent). Drivers’ championship into the weekend: Kimi Antonelli 302, George Russell 236 (66 points behind), Lewis Hamilton 199, Lando Norris 186, Charles Leclerc 179, Max Verstappen 163; Mercedes lead the constructors with 538 (The Independent; formula1.com). Russell won the previous round in Baku; Antonelli salvaged fifth after a qualifying crash (formula1.com). Race start is Sunday 8 a.m. BST (3 a.m. ET); qualifying is Saturday 9 a.m. BST (4 a.m. ET) (The Independent).

The official title — Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia — is deliberate, not a mix-up. Bahrain’s original spring slot was scrubbed because of the regional conflict; the Gulf state kept its commercial name on the race and covered the hosting fees so Sepang could return to the calendar for the first time since 2017 (The Independent). Formula 1’s own preview calls the weekend the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia and lists Free Practice 1 and 2 on Friday 2 October, Free Practice 3 and qualifying on Saturday 3 October, and the Grand Prix on Sunday 4 October (formula1.com). Session times from The Independent (BST, with ET in parentheses): FP1 Friday 5:30 a.m. (12:30 a.m. ET); FP2 Friday 9 a.m. (4 a.m. ET); FP3 Saturday 5:30 a.m. (12:30 a.m. ET); qualifying Saturday 9 a.m. (4 a.m. ET); race Sunday 8 a.m. (3 a.m. ET). Sky Sports in the United Kingdom starts Sunday race coverage at 6:30 a.m. BST (The Independent).

Sepang first hosted Formula 1 in 1999 as the Malaysian Grand Prix. The track is 5.543 km; the lap record is 1:34.080, set by Sebastian Vettel for Ferrari in 2017. Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher share the most poles here with five each; Vettel holds the most wins with four. The circuit was the first Formula 1 track designed by Hermann Tilke. In the last Sepang race weekend in 2017, officials counted 73 overtakes; historical Safety Car and Virtual Safety Car probabilities from the last five Grands Prix at the venue both sit around 20 percent, with a pit-stop time loss of about 23.7 seconds (formula1.com).

Pirelli expects an abrasive surface with grip levels likely low on Friday that should improve as rubber builds up. Thermal management across both axles is a main challenge; resurfacing between Turns 6 and 12 in 2023, further work around Turn 9, and September levelling and cleaning leave the asphalt character close to 2017, but no team has truly useful data on current-generation cars at Sepang. Friday practice therefore matters more than usual for balance and tyre behaviour. Afternoon thunderstorms are common in early October; heat, humidity, and sudden rain defined Sepang’s years as a permanent calendar stop (formula1.com).

Antonelli still leads the drivers’ standings despite the difficult Baku weekend, when a qualifying crash left him starting near the back before he recovered to fifth. Russell took a dominant pole in Azerbaijan and held off Verstappen for his third win of the season, cutting Antonelli’s margin to 66 points (formula1.com; The Independent). Verstappen was a tenth of a second from his first 2026 win; teammate Isack Hadjar took a podium on return from a wrist injury. McLaren scored nothing in Baku after Norris crashed out; Ferrari left with a double points finish and will chase more pace at Sepang (formula1.com). Constructors into the weekend, per The Independent: Mercedes 538, Ferrari 378, McLaren 306, Red Bull 263, Racing Bulls 83, Alpine 68, Haas 27, Audi 17, Williams 12, Aston Martin 3, Cadillac 0 (The Independent).

Former Renault driver Jolyon Palmer, writing for formula1.com, called Sepang a brilliantly flowing lap with a fast middle sector, wide Turn 1, high-speed balance through Turns 5⁠–⁠6, and tricky braking into Turns 11 and 14 that can lock the right front before the final overtaking chance (formula1.com). At press time no on-track sessions had begun; this page is a preview only. The Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia opens the final stretch of the 2026 championship with Antonelli’s 66-point cushion the number to watch from Friday’s first practice through Sunday morning’s race.