The timetable didn’t lie, the Bahrain Grand Prix, scheduled originally for April 10-12, was cancelled due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. After negotiations and talks between venues and hosts, F1 hosts the Bahrain GP, but to take place at Sepang, Malaysia.
Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia
The tongue-twister name comes after F1 and the Malaysian circuit reached an agreement to host a race this season. As the weekend acts as what would have been the Bahrain GP, Malaysia does not claim the race. The circuit will be a familiar site for 10 of our 22 drivers, as the last time F1 raced in Malaysia was 2017.
Back then, almost exactly nine years ago, Max Verstappen was quickly becoming a Red Bull Racing sensation. He took victory around Sepang, fighting all the way against then three-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, and Daniel Ricciardo. Also on the grid was Esteban Ocon, Valtteri Bottas, Nico Hülkenberg and Pierre Gasly, to name a few.
In 2026, Sepang homes MotoGP once a year. The unique layout of the circuit makes for great two-wheel racing, but the track has never experienced the current modern era of Formula 1.
A Circuit Unlike Most
The Sepang International Circuit sits at 5.543km long, with 15 unique corners, including a striking hairpin corner. Turn 15 runs between the two longest straights on the circuit, ending the third and starting the first sector. It will test straight-line speed, but vitally, the braking of the cars. Expect drivers to lock-up into this final corner, as they evaluate their entry and exit speeds.
F1 first raced here in Malaysia in 1999, with the most recent race setting the circuits fastest lap of 1:34.080. This was set by Sebastian Vettel in the Ferrari. With the evolution of F1 cars, this record is highly likely to be broken this weekend.
Max Verstappen shared his thoughts expectations of the circuit, as the most recent winner here.
“I always enjoyed racing here because I think I really liked the track layout. It was not very straightforward because there’s always high degradation, hot in general, so quite uncomfortable in a way to drive physically.”
Storylines Ahead of the Weekend
HAAS announced this week that they and Esteban Ocon will part ways at the end of the 2026 season. The announcement comes after the Frenchmen’s future in F1 came under speculation, indicating that he was a free agent. The pairing have been together since 2025, having produced a mixed bag of results.
The news means that with only the remaining HAAS seats and Racing Bulls seats up for grabs, Ocon is unlikely to be racing next season. He stated that he is “proud” of his efforts and performance with the American team, and emphasised that “this is absolutely not the end of my Formula 1 career.”
On the other side of the paddock, Ferrari have been under media attention. Talks over team principal Fred Vasseur’s future have caused tension at the team. With neither Hamilton or Leclerc sitting on the podium for the last five Grand Prix weekends, some have questioned the Frenchman’s position in the team, or whether he should remain at all.
Ferrari team principals coming under media pressure is nothing new, but their drivers have been quick to defend him. It seems as though he won’t be going anywhere any time soon, and it’s a decision that key figures at the team agree with.
“Swapping him out and putting… it won’t change how the team is moving forward. If anything it will be detrimental. I think consistency with Fred, he knows the team, he’s helped the team build I think we’ve had the best car this year.” – Lewis Hamilton on his support for his team principals
As It Stands
Kimi Antonelli showed a rare display of weekends last weekend during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, when he started the race P16 and only recovered to 5th. His teammate George Russell on the other hand, had arguably his strongest weekend so far this season, achieving his first Grand Slam weekend. Whether this was an indication of a shift at Mercedes is yet to be proven, as the Italian still leads his teammate by 66 points.
Ferrari continue to struggle, after yet another lacklustre weekend in Baku. No shift in the standings remains their saving grace, as they only managed P4 and P6 in the race. 160 points the difference between them and Mercedes in the constructors championship means an immediate turn around is needed.
McLaren’s Lando Norris comes to Malaysia having had an unfortunate early exit in Baku. Franco Colapinto took out both him and teammate Gasly during the race. The exit ended what had been a string of strong race finishes for the British Champion. Oscar Piastri continues to show disappointing performance in his McLaren.
Red Bull will aim to continue the high from their double podium finish in Baku. With Verstappen taking P2 alongside teammate Issck Hadjar, similarities between Sepang and Baku could prove beneficial for the team. As Malaysias most recent F1 race winner, Verstappen is a figure to watch this weekend.