Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia 2026

Sepang

When was the track built?

Sepang International Circuit was built in the late 1990s on open land beside the then-new Kuala Lumpur International Airport, as the centrepiece of Malaysia’s push onto the world motorsport stage. Hermann Tilke drew it up from a clean sheet, and it opened in March 1999. Its wide track, generous run-off and sweeping double-sided main grandstand became the template for a generation of purpose-built circuits across Asia and the Middle East.

When was its first Grand Prix?

The first Malaysian Grand Prix ran in October 1999 and was eventful well before the chequered flag: it marked Michael Schumacher’s return from a broken leg, and Ferrari’s one-two was thrown out over a bodywork dimension before being reinstated on appeal. The race stayed on the calendar until 2017, when Malaysia chose not to renew. This weekend is Formula 1’s first visit in nine years, and it arrives as the relocated Bahrain Grand Prix rather than a Malaysian one.

What’s the circuit like?

A long, broad lap of about five and a half kilometres. It opens with a tight right-left complex at the end of the main straight, runs through a sequence of fast direction changes and long, loaded corners, then finishes with two long straights joined by a slow hairpin. That back straight, hairpin and pit straight sequence is the main passing zone, backed up by the first-corner complex. Downforce sits in the medium-to-high range and traction out of the slow corners matters. The real variable is the climate: track temperatures can climb past 50 degrees, punishing rear tyres, brakes and cooling, and tropical storms can roll in within minutes.

Why go?

Kuala Lumpur is about an hour up the road and is one of Asia’s great food cities, from hawker centres to night markets, so evenings take care of themselves. The circuit sits right beside the international airport, which makes it one of the easiest venues on the calendar to fly straight into. Early October falls in the inter-monsoon season, so expect heavy heat, high humidity and a good chance of an afternoon downpour. After nine years away, there is also the novelty of being there for Formula 1’s return.

Where is the best place to watch?

The main grandstand is the signature seat here: its covered stand looks across both the pit straight and the back straight, with the final hairpin in between, so you see the lap’s key overtaking sequence twice, and you are out of the sun and rain. Stands and hillside viewing around the first two corners catch the opening-lap scramble and the braking zone at the end of the pit straight. Given the weather, covered seating is worth the premium.