Formula 1 is in talks with Malaysian Grand Prix organisers about bringing Sepang back to the sports calendar on October 4, a move that would fill a gap between the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on September 26 and the Singapore Grand Prix on October 11. The possible return would revive a race that last appeared in 2017.
The timing matters because Formula 1 has been trying to replace cancelled rounds earlier this year, and Malaysia is now being treated as one of the clearer options. The series was close to putting the Bahrain Grand Prix back on the schedule in early October, but the wider picture in the Middle East has pushed the discussion toward Sepang instead.
Sepang Circuit organisers were among several race promoters to put their hand up for a Grand Prix this year, but Malaysia has the advantage of fitting neatly into the calendar. Formula 1 is looking for a slot that keeps the season moving after Baku and before Singapore, and the Malaysian round would do that without creating a long break in the run-in to the final stretch.
George Russell has made plain he would welcome the extra racing. He said he would love a 24-race season and that his view would not change whether he was leading the standings or chasing them. He added that he wants to go racing, loves the fight, and would be happy to race every weekend if he could.
Russell also pointed to the practical shape of the schedule, saying he hopes Formula 1 can find another race between Baku and Singapore if the Middle East rounds do not happen. That is where Malaysia now sits in the conversation. The same uncertainty also hangs over the later part of the season, with Qatar on November 29 and Abu Dhabi on December 6 still part of the broader calendar picture.
The unresolved issue is whether Formula 1 will actually confirm Malaysia for October 4 or keep looking. If the Malaysian option falls away, the pool narrows quickly, especially later in the year when Europe is less attractive because of the cold. Portugal's Portimao and Turkey's Istanbul remain among the names being discussed if the Middle East races do not go ahead, but Malaysia is the most immediate possibility now.
