Formula 1 returns to Sepang on 4 October for the first time since 2017. The race will be called the Bahrain Grand Prix, and almost every ringgit it generates will leave the country.
Malaysia was handed the round after the US-Israeli war on Iran forced the cancellation of both the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian rounds, opening a five-week hole in the calendar. Bahrain wanted to keep its race in some form, and with the Singapore round just 300km away, Sepang became the obvious contingency. The deal was signed between Formula 1, the FIA and the governments of Malaysia and Bahrain, and creates a Baku–Singapore–Sepang triple-header in late September and October.
"We are delighted to confirm that Malaysia will host the Bahrain Grand Prix in 2026," F1 president and CEO Stefano Domenicali said. "Once again, the sport has demonstrated its ability to adapt, find solutions, and deliver, creating an exciting moment for everyone who follows Formula 1."
Domenicali leaned on nostalgia for the rest of it. "Malaysia is an incredible country, and Sepang holds a special place in Formula 1 history. It will provide a spectacular setting for racing and an unforgettable experience for fans at the circuit and watching around the world."
The commercial reality, spelled out by the man running the circuit, is less romantic. Sepang International Circuit chief executive Azhan Shafriman Hanif told Bernama that Bahrain is paying the hosting fee — estimated at US$70-80 million — and taking everything back.
"I know many netizens want cheap tickets, and I will try my best to get a special price for Malaysians, but the final decision is in Bahrain's hands," Azhan said.
That framing matters, because cost is precisely why Malaysia left. Sepang ran the Malaysian Grand Prix from 1999 to 2017 before terminating its contract early, with declining ticket sales, falling TV ratings and a widespread feeling of having been "ripped off" by Bernie Ecclestone's Formula One Management. As recently as April 2023, then youth and sports minister Hannah Yeoh called a return "quite impossible" on cost grounds.
Azhan's argument is that this arrangement sidesteps that problem entirely, and he put numbers to it.
"Based on the data I have seen, most host countries receive returns of at least three times the value of their expenditure," he said. "This means that if RM300 million is spent, the potential returns to the country could reach RM1 billion." Hosting the race outright — fees plus operations — would cost at least RM300 million, he added. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has publicly confirmed Malaysia is not paying Formula 1's hosting fee.
Talks between Sepang and the Bahrain International Circuit have so far covered operations only; ticketing, hospitality and merchandising negotiations were still to come, with a Bahraini delegation due in Malaysia for face-to-face meetings.
There was also a week of confusion over when the race actually starts. The F1 app initially listed Sunday's grand prix for 8pm to 10pm local time — the original Sakhir slot — which set off speculation about a night race under floodlights at a circuit that has never held one.
"The race will be held in the afternoon, not at night," Azhan told Bernama, dismissing it.
F1 said the listing was a systems error on its end but published no replacement times, leaving the matter open. The FIA has now closed it, releasing start times for the remainder of the season: FP1 and FP3 at 12:30, FP2 and qualifying at 16:00, and the race at 15:00 local on Sunday — identical to the 2017 Malaysian Grand Prix, and an 08:00 start in the UK.
Ten drivers on the current grid have raced at Sepang. Fernando Alonso has three wins there, more than any of his rivals; Sebastian Vettel's four is the outright record. Lewis Hamilton took five poles at the circuit and converted just one, and his 2016 engine failure there remains a load-bearing piece of the title he lost to Nico Rosberg. Pierre Gasly made his Formula 1 debut at the last Malaysian Grand Prix.
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*Originally published on [Formula 1 News](https://newsformula.one/article/sepang-hosts-the-bahrain-gp-and-bahrain-keeps-the-money). Visit for full coverage.*