Formula 1 Returns to Sepang: Malaysia Hosts Its First Grand Prix Since 2017
Formula 1 Is Back in Malaysia This Weekend
Sepang International Circuit hosts Bahrain’s round of the 2026 season from 2 to 4 October, with around 200,000 fans expected across the three days.
Formula 1 is racing in Malaysia again. Sepang International Circuit, the track just outside Kuala Lumpur, hosts its first Grand Prix since 2017 this weekend.
The race carries the name of the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix. Formula 1, the FIA, which is the sport’s governing body, and the governments of Bahrain and Malaysia agreed to stage Bahrain’s round of the 2026 season at Sepang after the original April date in Bahrain fell through. It keeps a Grand Prix on the calendar and brings racing back to Malaysia after nine years away.
The Race Weekend Schedule
Practice runs on Friday 2 October, qualifying on Saturday 3 October and the race on Sunday 4 October. The Grand Prix itself is 56 laps.
Organisers expect around 200,000 fans across the three days. When tickets went on sale in August, prices started at RM200 for the hillstands and ran to RM2,083 for grandstand seats.
Sepang in Numbers
- 5.543km lap length
- 15 turns, ending in the final hairpin
- 56 laps on Sunday
- 1999, the year of its first Grand Prix
- 1:34.080, the lap record, set by Sebastian Vettel in 2017
- 2017, the last race here, won by Max Verstappen
Sepang was designed by Hermann Tilke, the architect behind many of the modern Formula 1 circuits. Long straights feed into fast, sweeping corners, and the layout gives drivers real chances to overtake.
Heat, Humidity and a Busy Run of Races
Sepang is one of the most physical races of the year. Track side temperatures typically sit between 32 and 35°C, with humidity of 70 to 90%. Drivers can lose more than 4kg of fluid during the race, and cars run hotter here than almost anywhere else.
The timing adds to the challenge. Sepang sits between Azerbaijan on 28 September and Singapore on 12 October, so teams arrive from Baku and leave for Singapore with very little time in between.
Teams will be watching their drivers as closely as their cars.
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Getting to Sepang
Fly into Kuala Lumpur. The circuit sits minutes from Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Malaysia’s main international gateway, so it’s an easy weekend trip from most of the region.
Take public transport. The airport operator is asking fans to leave the car at home, as parking around the circuit is limited. Arrive early on race day.
Pack for the tropics. Expect heat, humidity and sudden afternoon downpours. Bring water, sun protection and something light for the rain.
Take the train. KLIA Ekspres is selling an RM200 race pass, about USD 49, covering return trips across all three days between KL Sentral and KLIA Terminal 2, where a shuttle bus runs to the circuit. Trains leave every 20 minutes from 5am to 1am, and every 15 minutes between 11am and 11pm on race day.
Plan for queues. Organisers have laid on 95 free shuttle buses from three hubs, running from 7am to midnight. On Friday some fans waited more than 3 hours for a bus after the session, so leave plenty of time on Sunday, or stay on at the circuit until the crowds thin.
The race has also brought new flights. A new direct service from Bahrain landed full for race weekend, with 6 extra flights added to meet demand.
Stay for the City
Kuala Lumpur is about an hour from the circuit. Add a night for rooftop views, hawker suppers and the Petronas Twin Towers, the tallest twin towers in the world, lit up after dark.
Sepang’s Formula 1 Story
Sepang hosted 19 Formula 1 races between 1999 and 2017. Sebastian Vettel won here 4 times, in 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2015, more than any other driver. Ferrari collected 7 wins, the most of any team.
The Malaysian Grand Prix itself is much older. From 1968 to 1995 it ran at the Shah Alam circuit outside Kuala Lumpur, for Formula Libre, Tasman, Formula Atlantic and Formula Pacific cars. Sepang brought the race into the Formula 1 World Championship for the first time in 1999.
What This Weekend Means for Malaysia
Malaysia stepped away from Formula 1 after 2017 because the hosting fees no longer added up. The track was never the problem. Fans loved it and drivers respected it.
This weekend is a one off, but it works as a test. Strong crowds, good television numbers and a smooth weekend would put Sepang back in the conversation for a permanent return. PETRONAS, Malaysia’s national oil company and a long time Formula 1 partner, will be watching closely too.
Either way, Formula 1 is back at Sepang, and Malaysia gets a race weekend again.
Sources: Formula 1, The Star, Malay Mail, KLIA Ekspres, 2 October 2026.
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