Bahrain GP lands in Malaysia: Sepang braces for F1 weekend like no other

The Sepang International Circuit will host the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia from October 2 to 4, marking F1's return after a decade.

The race was added to the 2026 F1 calendar after an agreement between Formula 1, FIA, and the Malaysian and Bahrain governments.

With ticket sales already high, the event could attract near-2008 levels of attendance, boosted by the growing global F1 fanbase since Netflix's Drive to Survive.

SEPANG, Oct 2 — After almost a decade in the wilderness, Formula 1 (F1) roars back into Malaysia this weekend but not quite in the way anyone expected.

Instead of the familiar Malaysian Grand Prix (GP), Sepang International Circuit (SIC) will host the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia 2026 from October 2 to 4, turning the iconic Malaysian circuit into the temporary home of Bahrain’s biggest motorsport event.

This came after Formula 1 confirmed Malaysia as host of the upcoming Gulf Air Bahrain GP, following an agreement between Formula 1, the International Automobile Federation (FIA) and governments of Malaysia and Bahrain, in July.

The agreement keeps the Bahrain GP on the 2026 F1 calendar after the race had been cancelled earlier this season due to geopolitical tensions in West Asia.

As SIC is renowned for producing unpredictable races, dramatic weather and memorable championship moments, the timing could hardly be more intriguing.

Since the Malaysian GP was dropped from the F1 calendar after the 2017 season, the sport has undergone a remarkable transformation, with its global fanbase expanding significantly following the launch of Netflix’s Drive to Survive series in 2019.

The series has introduced F1 to a new generation of fans by offering an inside look at the drivers, teams and rivalries behind the sport, helping to broaden its appeal beyond traditional motorsport audiences.

The renewed excitement is also reflected in ticket sales, with around 95,000 three-day passes already sold for the October 2-4 race weekend as SIC targets the 100,000 mark.

Tickets for the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain GP in Malaysia 2026 are sold as three-day passes only with no single-day tickets available for purchase.

Should sales reach 100,000, it would mark a significant turnout for SIC, with the circuit’s highest attendance for an F1 event was recorded during the 2008 Malaysian GP, which attracted 126,690 spectators over the three-day weekend.

Meanwhile, SIC itself could have a major say in how the race unfolds.

Sepang’s layout, featuring long straights and a fast-flowing middle section, will put the cars and drivers through a demanding test, with tyre degradation and the ever-present threat of tropical rain adding further complexity.

The 5.543-kilometre long circuit also hosted one of F1’s most memorable wet-weather races in 2009, when torrential monsoon rain forced officials to red-flag the Malaysian GP after 31 laps.

The Malaysian Meteorological Department has forecast the possibility of rain during Sunday’s race, raising the prospect of another Sepang thriller.

Adding to the challenge is the current haze situation, which could further test the drivers and teams over the race weekend.

Interestingly, only 10 drivers on the current grid have previously raced at the circuit, meaning the experienced and former Malaysian GP champions Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari and Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen could hold valuable knowledge of the demanding layout.

Alonso stands out with three victories at the circuit, taking the chequered flag for Renault in 2005, McLaren in 2007 and Ferrari in 2012.

Hamilton also tasted success here in 2014 when he represented Mercedes, before Verstappen emerged victorious in the final Malaysian GP in 2017.

Among the new generation of drivers that will make a debut in SIC is the current leader for drivers’ standings with 302 points, Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes.

The 20-year-old Italian will be looking to return to the podium at SIC following a difficult weekend in Azerbaijan GP, where a qualifying crash saw the Italian salvage fifth place in the race.

His teammate, George Russell, meanwhile, arrives in Sepang on a high after claiming his third victory of the season in Azerbaijan GP, cutting Antonelli’s lead to 66 points.

Verstappen, however, cannot be discounted, with former Minardi driver and Malaysian F1 icon Alex Yoong billing the four-time world champion as a dark horse for victory at Sepang.

Reigning world champion Lando Norris, meanwhile, will be looking to bounce back after retiring from the Azerbaijan GP last weekend, with the McLaren driver also facing his first competitive outing at Sepang.

Beyond the high-speed drama on track, Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) chief executive Sheikh Salman Isa Al Khalifa recently said fans can immerse themselves in Bahrain’s culture, traditions and cuisine as the Kingdom showcases its Grand Prix experience in Malaysia.

Nine years on, the wait is finally over.

The engines are ready, the fans are coming and Sepang is ready to roar again. — Bernama

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10月2日至4日，马来西亚雪邦国际赛道将举办一级方程式海湾航空巴林大奖赛，标志着F1时隔十年重返马来西亚。

在F1、国际汽联以及马来西亚和巴林政府达成协议后，该赛事被添加到2026年F1赛历中。

由于门票销售情况已经很好了，此次赛事可能会吸引接近 2008 年的观众人数，这得益于 Netflix 的纪录片《极速求生》播出后全球 F1 车迷群体的不断壮大。

雪邦，10 月 2 日——经过近十年的沉寂，一级方程式赛车 (F1) 本周末重返马来西亚，但方式却出乎所有人的意料。

2026 年 10 月 2 日至 4 日，马来西亚一级方程式海湾航空巴林大奖赛将在雪邦国际赛道 (SIC) 举行，取代以往熟悉的马来西亚大奖赛 (GP)，将这条标志性的马来西亚赛道临时变成巴林最大赛车运动赛事的举办地。

此前，一级方程式赛车、国际汽车联合会（FIA）以及马来西亚和巴林政府于 7 月达成协议，确认马来西亚将举办即将到来的海湾航空巴林大奖赛。

该协议确保巴林大奖赛继续保留在 2026 年 F1 赛历上。此前，由于西亚地缘政治紧张局势，该赛事在本赛季早些时候被取消。

由于锡达拉哈西国际赛道以举办难以预测的比赛、变幻莫测的天气和令人难忘的锦标赛时刻而闻名，因此，此次比赛的举办时间可谓极具吸引力。

自 2017 赛季后马来西亚大奖赛从 F1 赛历中移除以来，这项运动发生了显著的变化，随着 Netflix 于 2019 年推出《极速求生》系列节目，其全球粉丝群体显著扩大。

该系列节目通过展现车手、车队和比赛背后的竞争，将F1介绍给了新一代车迷，帮助F1扩大了其在传统赛车运动观众之外的吸引力。

重新燃起的热情也体现在门票销售上，10 月 2 日至 4 日的比赛周末，三天通票已售出约 95,000 张，SIC 的目标是达到 100,000 张。

2026 年马来西亚巴林一级方程式大奖赛的门票仅以三日通票的形式出售，不提供单日门票。

如果销量达到 10 万辆，这将标志着雪城国际赛道迎来了一次重大的客流量，该赛道 F1 赛事的最高上座率是在 2008 年马来西亚大奖赛期间创下的，当时在为期三天的周末吸引了 126,690 名观众。

与此同时，SIC本身可能会对比赛的走向产生重大影响。

雪邦赛道的布局以长直道和高速的中间路段为特色，将对赛车和车手构成严峻的考验，轮胎磨损和热带降雨的威胁更增加了比赛的复杂性。

这条全长 5.543 公里的赛道在 2009 年也举办了 F1 历史上最令人难忘的雨战之一，当时倾盆大雨迫使赛事官员在马来西亚大奖赛进行到 31 圈后出示红旗终止比赛。

马来西亚气象局预测周日比赛期间可能会有降雨，这使得雪邦赛道再次上演惊险刺激的比赛成为可能。

雪上加霜的是，目前的雾霾情况可能会在比赛周末进一步考验车手和车队。

有趣的是，目前参赛车手中只有 10 位曾经在这条赛道上比赛过，这意味着经验丰富的阿斯顿·马丁车队的费尔南多·阿隆索、法拉利车队的刘易斯·汉密尔顿和红牛车队的马克斯·维斯塔潘这三位前马来西亚大奖赛冠军可能对这条极具挑战性的赛道布局有着宝贵的经验。

阿隆索在该赛道上三次夺冠，分别在 2005 年代表雷诺、2007 年代表迈凯伦和 2012 年代表法拉利赢得比赛。

汉密尔顿在 2014 年代表梅赛德斯车队也曾在这里取得过成功，之后维斯塔潘在 2017 年马来西亚大奖赛的最后一场比赛中获胜。

即将首次亮相雪城国际赛道的新一代车手中，包括目前车手积分榜领头羊、梅赛德斯车队的基米·安东内利，他以 302 分领跑积分榜。

这位 20 岁的意大利车手希望在锡达拉哈拉赛道重返领奖台。此前，他在阿塞拜疆大奖赛上经历了一个艰难的周末，排位赛中的一次撞车事故让他最终在正赛中获得了第五名。

与此同时，他的队友乔治·拉塞尔在阿塞拜疆大奖赛上取得了本赛季的第三场胜利，将安东内利的领先优势缩小到 66 分，带着高昂的士气来到雪邦。

然而，维斯塔潘也不容小觑。前米纳尔迪车手、马来西亚F1传奇人物亚历克斯·杨认为，这位四届世界冠军是雪邦赛道上的一匹黑马。

与此同时，卫冕世界冠军兰多·诺里斯希望在上周末阿塞拜疆大奖赛退赛后重振旗鼓，这位迈凯伦车手也将在雪邦迎来他的首场正式比赛。

除了赛道上的高速刺激之外，巴林国际赛道 (BIC) 首席执行官谢赫·萨勒曼·伊萨·阿勒哈利法最近表示，随着巴林王国在马来西亚展示其一级方程式大奖赛体验，车迷们还可以沉浸在巴林的文化、传统和美食之中。

九年过去了，等待终于结束了。

引擎已就绪，车迷即将到来，雪邦赛道即将再次咆哮。——马新社

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