KUALA LUMPUR — On July 26, 2026, Formula 1 announced that Malaysia will host the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) from October 2 to 4, 2026.

Sepang steps in as the official substitute venue for the original Bahrain Grand Prix following ongoing conflicts in West Asia.

The milestone agreement was finalised through a joint effort between Formula 1, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), the Government of Bahrain, and the Government of Malaysia.

How did this decision come to be?

On March 14, 2026, Formula 1 confirmed that both the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix, originally scheduled for April 10–12 and April 17–19 respectively, would not take place as planned due to the ongoing conflict involving the United States and Iran in West Asia.

Crucially, the races were deferred rather than formally cancelled, leaving a five-week gap in the April calendar while F1 monitored the situation before making a final call ahead of the summer shutdown.