Malaysia will host the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit from October 2-4 2026, giving the championship a race on a date and at a venue that had been expected to disappear from the calendar. Formula 1 and the FIA said the event will sit between the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and the Singapore Grand Prix.
That matters now because the move changes the 2026 Formula 1 standings calendar before the season begins to take shape, and it keeps a Grand Prix on the schedule that would otherwise not have happened. Stefano Domenicali said Formula 1 was delighted to confirm the move and added that fans will continue to enjoy a full and exciting Formula 1 calendar, while also seeing the sport return to a great venue.
The agreement was reached between Formula 1, the FIA, the Government of Bahrain, and the Government of Malaysia, and the rest of the 2026 Formula 1 schedule remains unchanged. Sepang International Circuit is not new to the championship: it made its debut as an F1 venue in 1999, and that history is part of why the race is being shifted there rather than left without a home.
But the announcement is not the final step. The event is still subject to final agreements and official sign-off, including approval by the World Motor Sport Council, which means the move is publicly set but not yet fully sealed. Mohammed Ben Sulayem said he was incredibly proud of the collaboration that will enable Malaysia to host the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sepang circuit later in the year, and he said the FIA, Formula One Management, and partners in Bahrain had worked tirelessly to explore every option.
Ben Sulayem also said safety and wellbeing remained the highest priority for the teams, volunteers, officials, colleagues, and fans, a reminder that the calendar change was driven as much by logistics as by sport. For now, the key question is not whether the race has a place on the calendar, but whether the remaining approvals arrive in time to turn the announcement into a fully formal entry on the 2026 season sheet.
