Malaysia returns to host the Bahrain Grand Prix in 2026

Formula 1 and the FIA have confirmed that Malaysia is set to host the Bahrain Grand Prix in 2026, with Sepang International Circuit staging the race from 2 to 4 October between the Azerbaijan and Singapore rounds. The proposed switch preserves a Grand Prix that otherwise would’ve been lost, following an agreement between the FIA, Formula One Management, the Government of Bahrain and the Government of Malaysia, with the rest of the 2026 schedule currently unchanged. The event will retain the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix name despite being held in Malaysia, although final agreements and approval from the FIA World Motor Sport Council are still required. The move follows the conflict-related cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix earlier in the season. Bahrain had been considered for a 4 October return, but a further escalation ruled that out.

Key Points: Malaysia returns to host the Bahrain Grand Prix in 2026

• Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia will host the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix from 2 to 4 October 2026, slotting between Azerbaijan and Singapore with the rest of the 2026 calendar unchanged at the moment.
• Agreement reached between the FIA, Formula One Management, the Government of Bahrain and the Government of Malaysia, still subject to final agreements and sign-off from the FIA World Motor Sport Council.
• The switch follows conflict-related cancellations of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix earlier this season, with Bahrain’s own return ruled out on safety grounds, The Race reports.
• The Race reports Bahrain’s national airline, Gulf Air, is funding the Malaysia race and taking title sponsorship, hence the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix name staying attached.
• Sepang hosted F1 from 1999 to 2017 before dropping off the calendar over hosting fees, despite being well liked by drivers and teams.
• Statements issued by Bahrain’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Malaysia’s Prime Minister, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem and F1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali.

A Deal to Save the Race

The relocation is being framed by all four parties as a rescue rather than a loss. Sepang steps in for a Bahrain Grand Prix that F1 says wouldn’t otherwise have happened this year, with the event keeping its Gulf Air Bahrain branding despite the change of venue. Bahrain’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister, HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, tied the move to the country’s long history with the sport, dating back to the first Grand Prix held in the region in 2004. The Race reports the naming comes down to funding: Bahrain is covering a large share of the costs of putting the race on, with its national airline, Gulf Air, taking title sponsorship, hence the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix badge staying attached to a race run 6,000km away in Malaysia. Nothing else on the 2026 calendar changes as a result of the switch.

Malaysia’s Response

Malaysia’s Prime Minister, Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, positioned the country’s involvement as a demonstration of trust between the two governments rather than simply a venue swap. Sepang held Formula 1 races before its absence from the calendar, with the October date marking the championship’s return to the circuit.

FIA and Formula 1 React

FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem credited the outcome to cooperation between the FIA, Formula One Management, Bahrain, the Motorsports Association of Malaysia and the Malaysian Government. He also stressed that the safety and wellbeing of teams, officials, volunteers and fans remained the priority throughout the process.

Formula 1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali framed the switch as proof of the sport’s ability to adapt quickly when a venue falls through, describing it as good news for a fanbase that keeps its full 2026 calendar intact.

What It Means for the Calendar

Sepang is described by Formula 1 as one of its most iconic and challenging circuits, known for passionate fans, demanding conditions and unpredictable weather. That reputation was built during its original run on the calendar from 1999 to 2017, when the circuit lost its place over hosting fees rather than any lack of quality. With the rest of the 2026 schedule unchanged, the Malaysia date slots directly between Azerbaijan and Singapore, creating a triple-header across Baku, Sepang and Marina Bay.

Neither the FIA nor Formula 1 stated why Bahrain’s own circuit was unavailable in their official releases. The decision is linked to the conflict in the Middle East, with The Race citing safety concerns behind the abandonment of Bahrain’s own return. The calendar currently stands at 23 races, while The Race reports Formula 1 is delaying a final decision on the Qatar and Abu Dhabi rounds until September. A standalone finale at Imola in December has been raised as a contingency if either event cannot go ahead.

Coffee Corner Take

Four statements, two governments, one race saved. That’s a lot of diplomatic language for what’s, at its core, a problem caused well outside the sport. Bahrain couldn’t run its own Grand Prix this year because of the conflict in the Middle East, not because of anything within F1’s control. Malaysia said yes. Sepang gets its calendar slot back and the chance to show a new generation what it can add to the sport.

Keeping the Bahrain name on a race run in Malaysia is a commercial protection. It protects Bahrain’s commercial rights and its long-standing place on the calendar while letting Sepang do the actual hosting, and it’s also a race bankrolled by Bahrain and branded with its national airline’s name. That’s a neat solution on paper. Whether it reads as neat to fans booking flights to Malaysia for a “Bahrain” Grand Prix is a different question entirely but that won’t worry F1

Sepang deserves the return regardless of the circumstances. It’s a circuit with a real history, dropped only over hosting fees and never over the quality of racing it produced. An October return also puts the circuit’s unpredictable weather straight back into the equation and with growing concern may be perfect timing.

The rest of the confirmed calendar stays put at the moment, which is the practical win here. One race has moved without forcing changes elsewhere. Formula 1 has also given itself until September to decide the fate of Qatar and Abu Dhabi, with Imola waiting as a possible standalone December finale if either falls through. That’s the current state of play with F1, buying time rather than making a decision it may later regret. The bigger question is what happens to Bahrain’s own return once this is settled, and whether a 23-race calendar built around contingency plans can hold together through to December.