Formula 1 returns to Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia for the first time since 2017, carrying with it the weight of a championship still very much in motion. The Bahrain Grand Prix — displaced from its usual calendar position and now finding a home in the Malaysian heat — offers a stage where history and ambition converge: a venue that has witnessed triumph for Verstappen, Hamilton, and Alonso alike now awaits its next chapter. As the 2026 season moves toward its conclusion, the race at Sepang on October 4 is less a routine stop than a reckoning.
F1 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang: Start times and how to watch
Mercedes seeks another victory while Verstappen chases his first win
Mark
So this is the Bahrain Grand Prix, but it's being held in Malaysia. How does that work?
Mimi
The original Bahrain race was postponed earlier in the season, so they've rescheduled it for this weekend at Sepang. It's the same event, just a different location and date.
Luke
Right—so it's still officially the Bahrain Grand Prix even though it's in Malaysia. That's worth clarifying because it might confuse people checking the calendar.
Mark
What's the significance of Sepang as a venue? Is it a difficult circuit?
Mimi
It's known for fast, flowing sections mixed with long straights, but the real challenge is the environment. The humidity and heat are intense, which wears on the drivers physically. It's not just about car performance.
Luke
And it hasn't hosted F1 since 2017, so there's a nine-year gap. That's worth noting—teams might not have current data on how their cars perform there.
Mark
Where does this race sit in the championship?
Mimi
It's round 16 of the season. Russell just won in Baku and cut Antonelli's lead to 66 points, so Mercedes is clearly strong right now. Verstappen is still chasing his first win of 2026.
Luke
That 66-point gap is substantial—that's more than two race wins. And Verstappen's winless streak is notable given his usual dominance, though we should be careful not to overstate it without knowing how many races are left in the season.
Mark
How can people actually watch this?
Mimi
F1 TV Pro has live coverage with onboard cameras from all 22 cars, available on most streaming platforms. F1 TV Premium goes further with 4K and a customizable multiview with 26 different feeds.
Luke
Both services require subscription, and F1 TV Pro is only in selected countries, so availability varies by region. The article doesn't specify which countries, which is a gap.
Der Puls
- George Russell's victory in Baku has tightened the Mercedes internal battle, leaving Kimi Antonelli just 66 points clear of his teammate with the season's end approaching.
- Max Verstappen arrives in Malaysia still searching for his first 2026 win, a drought that grows more conspicuous at a circuit where he last stood on the top step in 2017.
- Sepang's brutal humidity and heat add a physical dimension to the competition that no amount of simulator preparation can fully replicate, threatening to expose weaknesses in both man and machine.
- The race weekend itself is a scheduling anomaly — the original Bahrain Grand Prix postponed and now grafted onto the Malaysian calendar slot, adding an air of the unexpected to an already charged moment in the season.
Formula 1 returns to Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia for the first time since 2017, carrying with it the weight of a championship still very much in motion. The Bahrain Grand Prix — displaced from its usual calendar position and now finding a home in the Malaysian heat — offers a stage where history and ambition converge: a venue that has witnessed triumph for Verstappen, Hamilton, and Alonso alike now awaits its next chapter. As the 2026 season moves toward its conclusion, the race at Sepang on October 4 is less a routine stop than a reckoning.
Formula 1 arrives at Sepang International Circuit this weekend for the Bahrain Grand Prix, the 16th round of the 2026 season and the circuit's first appearance on the championship calendar since 2017. The Malaysian venue, a fixture of the sport since 1999, hosts three days of action beginning Friday, October 2, with the Grand Prix itself scheduled for Sunday afternoon at 15:00 local time.
The weekend follows the familiar three-day structure — two practice sessions Friday, a third Saturday morning, qualifying Saturday afternoon — before the main event. Sepang's character is well known to those who have raced here: high-speed flowing sections, long straights, and an environment of punishing heat and humidity that demands as much from the drivers' bodies as from their engineers' setup choices.
The championship context lends the weekend genuine tension. Russell's win in Azerbaijan has closed the gap to Mercedes teammate Antonelli to 66 points, raising the question of whether the Silver Arrows can sustain momentum or whether a rival will intervene. Verstappen, still without a 2026 victory, arrives at a track where he won the last race held here — a detail that adds a layer of narrative weight to his weekend. Hamilton and Alonso, too, have claimed victories at Sepang in earlier chapters of their careers.
Viewers have a range of options to follow the action. F1 TV Pro provides live, uninterrupted coverage across all sessions in supported territories, with onboard feeds from every car and commentary in six languages. F1 TV Premium steps further, offering 4K Ultra HD with HDR, simultaneous streaming on up to six devices, and a 26-feed Multiview option. Live timing remains freely accessible on F1.com and the official app throughout the weekend.
The event itself is a product of calendar reshuffling — the Bahrain Grand Prix postponed from its usual early-season slot and now occupying this Malaysian date. Whatever its administrative origins, the race at Sepang arrives at a moment when the season's final shape is still being written.
Formula 1 returns to Sepang International Circuit this weekend for the Bahrain Grand Prix, marking the 16th round of the 2026 season and the first time the Malaysian venue has hosted the championship since 2017. The circuit, which entered the F1 calendar in 1999, will welcome the field across three days of racing beginning Friday, October 2, with the main event taking place Sunday afternoon.
The weekend schedule follows the standard three-day format. Free Practice 1 opens proceedings Friday at 12:30 local time, followed by Free Practice 2 at 16:00. Saturday brings Free Practice 3 at 12:30, with Qualifying at 16:00 to determine the grid. The Grand Prix itself gets underway Sunday, October 4, at 15:00 local time. Sepang is known for its combination of high-speed, flowing sections punctuated by long straights, and drivers will contend with the circuit's signature challenges: oppressive humidity and intense heat that test physical endurance as much as car setup.
The championship picture heading into Malaysia carries intrigue. George Russell claimed victory last weekend in Azerbaijan, narrowing the gap to his Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli in the drivers' standings to 66 points. The question now is whether Mercedes can extend its winning streak, or whether Max Verstappen can finally break through for his first victory of the 2026 season after narrowly missing out in Baku. Verstappen has history at this venue—he won the last F1 race held at Sepang in 2017. Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso have also tasted victory here in previous years.
For viewers, multiple broadcast options are available. F1 TV Pro offers live coverage from every session in selected countries, featuring onboard cameras from all 22 cars, pre-race and post-race programming, and commentary in six languages, all without commercial interruption. The service streams across Apple TV, Chromecast, Android TV, Google TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Roku. F1 TV Premium elevates the experience further, delivering races in 4K Ultra HD with HDR capability on up to six devices simultaneously, plus a customizable Multiview feature offering 26 different camera feeds. Through Premium, viewers can watch not only the Grand Prix but also F2, F3, F1 Academy, and Porsche Supercup sessions in 4K. For those preferring a lighter touch, live timing remains available on F1.com and the official F1 app throughout the weekend.
The Sepang event itself represents a scheduling adjustment for the calendar. The original Bahrain Grand Prix, typically held earlier in the season, was postponed, and this Malaysian round now fills that slot on the championship schedule. It's a return to a storied venue that has produced memorable moments across its quarter-century in the sport, and this year it will serve as a crucial test point as the season heads toward its final rounds.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
George Russell put in a dominant performance last weekend in Azerbaijan to claim victory and close the gap to Mercedes team mate Kimi Antonelli in the drivers' standings to 66 points.— F1 official reporting
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