Nine years after walking away from Formula 1 over money, Malaysia is back on the calendar — hosting a grand prix named after another country, funded by that country, and handing the receipts straight back to it.
Sepang stages the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix from 2 to 4 October. The race exists in this form because the US-Israeli war on Iran forced the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian rounds, leaving a five-week gap in the schedule. Bahrain wanted its event preserved; Sepang sits 300km from Singapore, already on the calendar. Formula 1, the FIA and the Malaysian and Bahraini governments signed the agreement, producing a Baku–Singapore–Sepang triple-header.
"We are delighted to confirm that Malaysia will host the Bahrain Grand Prix in 2026," said F1 president and CEO Stefano Domenicali. "Once again, the sport has demonstrated its ability to adapt, find solutions, and deliver, creating an exciting moment for everyone who follows Formula 1."
He reached for the history. "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."
Sepang International Circuit chief executive Azhan Shafriman Hanif has been considerably more forthcoming about the ledger. Speaking to Bernama, he confirmed Bahrain is covering the hosting fee — put at US$70-80 million — and takes all proceeds, sets ticket prices and keeps ticket income. Malaysia's contribution is around RM40 million to upgrade the venue to current Formula 1 standards.
"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.
Cost is the reason any of this needs explaining. Sepang hosted the Malaysian Grand Prix from 1999 to 2017 and ended its contract early, worn down by sliding attendances and TV numbers and a sense of having been "ripped off" in its dealings with Bernie Ecclestone's Formula One Management. In April 2023, then youth and sports minister Hannah Yeoh called a return "quite impossible" given the fees.
Azhan's case is that the country is getting the exposure without the invoice, and he attached figures 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." Staging the race independently, fees included, would cost RM300 million or more. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has confirmed Malaysia is not paying Formula 1's hosting fee.
Discussions between Sepang and the Bahrain International Circuit had covered operational matters only, with ticketing, hospitality and merchandising left for a Bahraini delegation to negotiate in person in Malaysia.
The start time became its own small saga. The official F1 app listed Sunday's race at 8pm to 10pm local — the slot inherited from Sakhir — prompting speculation about floodlights at a circuit that has never run a night race.
"The race will be held in the afternoon, not at night," Azhan told Bernama.
F1 blamed a systems error but issued no corrected times, which left the question hanging until the FIA published start times for the rest of the season. Sepang runs FP1 and FP3 at 12:30, FP2 and qualifying at 16:00, and the grand prix at 15:00 local on Sunday — matching the 2017 race, and meaning an 08:00 start for UK viewers.
Ten current drivers have raced at Sepang. Fernando Alonso leads them with three wins, behind Sebastian Vettel's outright record of four. Lewis Hamilton claimed five poles there and won once; his 2016 engine failure at the track is still a fixture in any account of how he lost that title to Nico Rosberg. The 2017 event doubled as Pierre Gasly's Formula 1 debut.
