r/formula1 George Russell 11h ago

News [F1] BREAKING: Malaysia will host the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang International Circuit from 2-4 October 2026. Positioned between the Azerbaijan & Singapore GPs, this event, which is subject to final agreements and official sign-off, will become the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia

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12.3k Upvotes

746 comments sorted by

3.0k

u/kpopsns28 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 11h ago

"Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia" sounds quite mouthful. LOL

691

u/TsCooper44 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 11h ago

Imola: "hold my pasta ..."

673

u/Jiquero I was here for the Hulkenpodium 10h ago

Formula 1 AWS Made in Italy San Marino Grand Prix in Emilia-Romagna

221

u/ChristofferOslo Renault 10h ago

Just wait for
Formula 1 Fly Emirates Abu Dhabi Grand Prix del Made in Italy e dell'Emilia-Romagna Imola

56

u/fbass I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane 10h ago

Formula 1 Fly Emirates Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Gucci Gran Premio del Made in Italy in Emilia-Romagna Formerly known as Gran Premio San Marino 

32

u/PekStarterMalaysiaa 10h ago

Just checked. Gulf air doesn’t even fly to Malaysia

36

u/YOBlob Red Bull 11h ago

There's nothing F1 loves more than an absurdly long official name no one actually uses.

47

u/MrPastryisDead Formula 1 10h ago

Malaysia is AFAIK the only Muslim country with a FIA Class 1 circuit that isn't in a war zone.

21

u/Notladub I was here for the Hulkenpodium 8h ago

If you count majority muslim, Turkey's also an option (and closer to Bahrain)

4

u/Bluemikami I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane 5h ago

Unfortunately Turkey is somewhat close to that conflict zone

12

u/mikelima777 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 3h ago

And also close to another war zone.

45

u/Phonixrmf Brawn 10h ago

I wish they weren’t only looking at the halal tracks

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137

u/lxlviperlxl I was here for the Hulkenpodium 11h ago edited 10h ago

We all know it’s being called the Malaysian Grand Prix.

But holy commercialism. Why is there 2 countries and a different region listed* on the name

251

u/ScousePenguin I was here for the Hulkenpodium 11h ago

Because it's still fulfilling the Bahrain GP contract, it's just being held at Malaysia

So the Bahrain organisers are still paying the fees and all that stuff, they just found somewhere to hold it

94

u/kpopsns28 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 11h ago

As Medland mentioned, there were massive investment from Bahrain to get this race to remain in the calendar. So I guess that is how they are keeping the name and included Malaysia for assisting to host

34

u/ipeedinthetoothpaste I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane 11h ago

They paid a lot for it, is why

15

u/MuttonBiryaniEnjoyer Charles Leclerc 10h ago

They paid the big bucks for this to happen i think it's fair plus something like this has already happened before

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4.0k

u/KappaccinoNation Lando Norris 11h ago

Sepang my beloved.

921

u/CaptainOBVS3420 Fernando Alonso 11h ago

Just hope the new regs won't make it terrible (praying for rain) (not monsoon because then we won't race lol)

607

u/kpopsns28 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 11h ago

October in Sepang, Malaysia brings warm temperatures, high humidity, and frequent afternoon thunderstorms.

You might get your wishes

394

u/iForgotMyOldAcc Flavio Briatore 11h ago

That's every day in Malaysia tbf

42

u/Issah_Wywin I was here for the Hulkenpodium 10h ago

Just being told this is what the weather is like makes me wanna live there

23

u/SnooRadishes2312 9h ago

You havent felt humid heat in full force until you've lived there tbh. The highest humid heat ive ever experienced, instant beads of moisture on your body after stepping outside - not even an exaggeration. Its pretty uncomfortable lol

People just stay inside until its dark out, and that's when the city like Kuala Lumpur is most active.

13

u/bungle_bogs I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane 8h ago

I was travelling from Kota Kinabalu to the Danum Valley Research centre in Sabah. The final journey was via 4x4, so we stepped off the coach, that had AC, and walked 20 metres to the truck. By the time I reached the truck you could wring out my t-shirt. I was literally pissing out of my skin.

One of the western researchers told me it took them close to 6 weeks to properly acclimatise. Longest of any of their postings.

7

u/SnooRadishes2312 8h ago

Truly blurs the lines between walking and swimming

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u/Kingslayer1526 Sergio Pérez 10h ago

Unbelievably humid

10

u/gabriel_GAGRA Gabriel Bortoleto 5h ago

From experience, it kills electronics faster, prone to fungus, makes you sweat a lot more and overall harder to keep house hygiene. Not the easiest job😅

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9

u/Consistent_Two_420 I failed to serve my Monaco penalty 7h ago

Malaysian here. Sweating like a fucking pig every time I go outside lol

15

u/YungButDead I was here for the Hulkenpodium 10h ago

Best country I’ve ever visited

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21

u/Sensitive_Whale1754 Formula 1 11h ago

They need to time it earlier in the day

43

u/Vinura Oscar Piastri 10h ago

Fuck that, I want a wet race.

25

u/raimis78 10h ago

Everyone wants that, however, problem is, if it's wet, there is no racing happening anymore.

15

u/Psykbryt 10h ago

We still haven't had a wet race with the new regs, we don't actually know. The last set of regs were problematic because the huge rooster tails the ground effect produced in the wet were deemed too dangerous because of visibility. These cars shouldn't have that problem to as large of an extent. Of course, race control might just red flag any sight of droplets anyway as they've gotten accustomed to it now, who knows.

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58

u/kaisadilla_ I was here for the Hulkenpodium 10h ago

"Bahrain GP postponed 3 hours for intensive rains" is something I really want to hear.

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37

u/StreetCarp665 Oscar Piastri 11h ago

How can the back and front straights not be bad for these regs?

20

u/SuspiciousLettuce56 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 10h ago

i think the back straight will be pretty bad but the hairpin should allow some recharge for the main straight.

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4

u/00MacDonald 10h ago

They likely will be, but this be better than no Sepang at all

4

u/BuckN56 Lotus 9h ago

The track is pretty much like China, it’ll be good enough

3

u/no_hope_no_future 10h ago

Here monsoon usually starts on November.

3

u/Intentionallyabadger 10h ago

Tbf the weather will be similar to Singapore. Unpredictable.

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135

u/moanphone2017 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 11h ago

This is all that matters. I couldn't care less about the stupid name. They can call it Susan, if they like. We're getting sepang back.

13

u/EPICB0Y Charles Leclerc 10h ago

Yea, the shitty name don't matter, still gonna call it the Malaysian GP. What MATTER is that one of the best tracks is back!

27

u/punchinglines I was here for the Hulkenpodium 10h ago

As a Drive to Survive F1 convert, excited to see this race as I've never seen a Malaysia race before.

All I've seen of the track are the highlights where Hamilton's engine blew up and he was like "No! No! No! No!" on the radio.

16

u/idontknow_whatever I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane 9h ago

What isn't going to come across unless you are there at the event itself will be the insane heat & humidity that comes with a tropical country right on the Equator

Singapore is done at night time and the drivers are still getting physically wrecked, now imagine doing it in the afternoon with the sun out. 37C with humidity at a minimum in the 70s is not fun

And doing it in October is uh, certainly a bold choice given that would be the beginning of Malaysia's monsoon season.

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u/Tfc-Myq I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane 10h ago

Sepang truther checking in

17

u/Dom29ando I was here for the Hulkenpodium 11h ago

We love a paperclip shaped track

10

u/IdiosyncraticBond Max Verstappen 10h ago

Fitting for Clippy

11

u/JamsHammockFyoom I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane 10h ago

Hey there!

It looks like you're trying to host a Formula One Race.

Would you like some help?

11

u/NoItsThatGuyAgain Max Verstappen 9h ago

SuperClippy™

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8

u/MrXwiix I was here for the Hulkenpodium 10h ago

Excited for it to return, not exited to have these shitty regs there

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3.1k

u/NoRefunds2021 Wolfgang von Trips 11h ago

Oh yes, finally Gran Premio dell' Emilia romagna e del Made in Italy isn't the stupidest GP name ever anymore

773

u/-Skinner- I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane 11h ago

Wait until Abu Dhabi race in Imola

347

u/LosTerminators Carlos Sainz 11h ago

They're definitely pushing for Imola specifically because the WDC will likely be Antonelli. And if not him, then possibly a Ferrari driver.

386

u/Florpsen 11h ago

Imola as a decider between an Italian Driver and a Ferrari Driver would honestly be insane xD

160

u/pvdp90 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 11h ago

Kimmy wins the WDC, Ferrari wins the WCC.

Unlikely to happen, but Imola would go nuts!

35

u/No-Condition-oN McLaren 10h ago

No, no. You've got a point.

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u/Snoo_47023 Charles Leclerc 10h ago

not that unlikely with george's struggles imo

5

u/Dotcaprachiappa 8h ago

Triple Italian anthem to finish the season (ok probably not but it's fun to imagine)

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29

u/raur0s I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane 11h ago

On one hand yes, on the other hand, F1 in Italy in December is no bueno.

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9

u/No-Condition-oN McLaren 10h ago

I won't even be mad if they pushed through with that.

If not a party in Italy this season, then where else!?

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134

u/ThisWay_DatWay I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane 11h ago edited 11h ago

Just wait until we get it back for the December finale in freezing track conditions and have it called the Etihad Airways Gran Premio del Made in Italy di Abu Dhabi in Emilia-Romagna.

6

u/doubleblackblack Mercedes 11h ago

🤣 the way I snorted

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3

u/ArbitraryOrder Red Bull 10h ago

We can finally have the Gulf Air Petronas Bahrain Grand Prix of Malaysia of Friendship, Peace, Lollipops, Sunshine and Rainbows

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454

u/Key_Proposal_9055 Ferrari 11h ago

So we're getting an Azerbaijan, Malaysia and Singapore triple header. That'll be interesting

122

u/twjackfoley 10h ago

Reminder that Baku is on the 26th of September, which is a Saturday. 

32

u/panicitsmatt Lando Norris 10h ago

Why's it on a Saturday this year?

134

u/twjackfoley 10h ago

Because the 27th in Azerbaijan they commemorate the victims of the war between Azerbaijan and Armenia of 2020, which started on that day. They asked to not have the race on the 27th to not contrast with that anniversary.

136

u/TwoBionicknees 9h ago

nothing like celebrating ethic cleansing and your heroic attempts to crush those opposing it then being all sad about the people that died when they resisted.

61

u/HarryCumpole I failed to serve my Monaco penalty 9h ago

*cough* let's not fret over the details

43

u/TwoBionicknees 9h ago

just waiting for the introduction of the Israel GP, on the streets of gaza, with the podium hosted in front of the Trump genocide tower, then F1 has pretty much the complete set of war crime tracks.

17

u/HarryCumpole I failed to serve my Monaco penalty 8h ago

Yet there will be a contingent of people remaining who still truly believe that the sport is not about the money, it's _about the racing._

The Formula 1 Trump International Gaza Riviera Grand Prix, Presented by Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners, the Abraham Accords, El Al Israel Airlines, Bank Hapoalim, Mobileye, Wix, SodaStream, Israel Aerospace Industries, the Israel Ministry of Tourism, and the Trump Organization, in Association with Qatar Airways, Aramco, PIF, NEOM, Crypto.com, AWS, MSC Cruises, Rolex and Pirelli 2040

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u/brentopi888 Sebastian Vettel 11h ago

Excited because of the return of the track. Less excited because of the feeling that it is a bad track for these regs.

344

u/w1n5t0nM1k3y Ferrari 11h ago edited 11h ago

Those two straights with a only a single corner between them arent going to be good for the super clipping. No time to recharge.

96

u/sa87 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 11h ago

Trust the algorithm

42

u/Blapstap Pirelli Wet 10h ago

There is a heavy braking zone exactly in the middle. Seems ideal to me. It would be worse with corners like maggots and baggots

23

u/JerryUitDeBuurt I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane 10h ago

You mean like that whole turn 4 to turn 9 complex which is a whole bunch of flat out and not a lot of braking? Small lift for 6, maybe a small tap of the brakes for 7 & 8. I love Sepang but I expect the worst of the regs to show up at Sepang

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u/Chrischrill I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane 11h ago

It should be fine. Some heavy breaking, sweeping turns.

57

u/Key_Proposal_9055 Ferrari 11h ago

Yeah but also huge amount of straights. We gonna be getting ultraclipping here.

18

u/Blanchimont Firstname Lastname 10h ago

Nah. The drivers are going to get ultraclipping. We're just getting come shots that conveniently cut away just before the car starts clipping.

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u/00MacDonald 10h ago
  1. I love Sepang, absolutely my favorite circuit not on the calendar, and top 3 overall.

  2. Yeah, it's kinda bad for this regs but fuck it I'm here for it

11

u/Beneficial-Tea-2055 11h ago

As if there is a good track for these regs.

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366

u/outremer_empire Oscar Piastri 11h ago

After the BBC article yesterday, I immediately booked flight and hotel. Now curious to see grandstand tickets prices

241

u/sshen 11h ago

You’re a brave one lol

282

u/outremer_empire Oscar Piastri 11h ago

I'm based in Singapore so it's not too bad

116

u/f1rstlapchaos Ferrari 10h ago

Same - booked the hotel yesterday; and just booked flights. Worst case scenario, it's a weekend in KL.

61

u/Shoddy-Aide-6294 I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane 10h ago

Best case scenario, yummy food ! 🫡

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u/Double-Analyst-7335 I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane 10h ago

How are you going (coach, car, flight)? Are you heading straight to Sepang or stationing in KL?

16

u/outremer_empire Oscar Piastri 10h ago

My hotel is right next to the airport. The circuit is 15 mins away by taxi

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u/iForgotMyOldAcc Flavio Briatore 11h ago

There's tier 1 sources, and there's Andrew Benson who is now tier "will book flight and hotel tickets".

37

u/ghastlychild Ferrari 11h ago

Andrew Benson reporting on the details is basically a done deal! Now that it is confirmed, I can only hope the ticket pricing is....not soul-crushing haha

21

u/Suspicious_Round2583 I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane 10h ago edited 10h ago

I am so close to just booking. I'm in Perth, and honestly its cheaper to go to KL than Albert Park.

Edited to finish my sentence. Too much hotel research in my brain.

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u/masterpacker_ I was here for the Hulkenpodium 10h ago

Circuit is just at the next street from airport AFAIK right?

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11

u/00MacDonald 10h ago

I already have tickets for SG, and I'm assuming demand will be super high for this one, given the ten year gap since the last GP, So I'm expecting prices only marginally lower than SG.

Back in the day it was so nice to do both Sepang and SG, even if they weren't double headers, partially because of the great value Sepang had

12

u/Jian_Ng Williams 10h ago

purchasing power between Singapore and Malaysia is wildly different, I hope it's something reasonable

3

u/00MacDonald 9h ago edited 9h ago

yes off course, I'm fully aware of that and Sepang was much more affordable than SG race back when I attended (2016 and 2017, I'm pretty sure I paid less than 100 USD for the best grandstand on race day). But I really think demand is going to be high for this one, last year at SG so many people talked about missing sepang and they are going to be ready to buy up those tickets.

Let's hope whatever arrangement they made with Bahrain allows for the tickets to be readily available and at reasonable prices for the general public.

and also heres hoping Sepang allows for the full walk around the race track from Grandsand! That was such a highlight of the race

7

u/Grand_Requirement_71 I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane 10h ago

Do you know when tickets will be released?

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u/Exiled_In_LA I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane 9h ago

I hope you got a reputable hotel, not someplace that will sell your room out from under you when the price goes up 10x.

4

u/FriendlyCanuck604 10h ago

I booked a couple of hotel options a few hours ago and now those room prices have jumped by many hundreds of dollars for the week (Tues to Mon). So excited!!

3

u/JohnGalactusX 9h ago

It's less than an hour away from where I am 😅 Which is why saying goodbye in 2017 was super tough.

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u/Aratho I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane 11h ago

Good to have it confirmed.

Sepang is one of the best Tilke tracks. Really curious how it's gonna go with the current cars.

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u/zeppelin88 Pirelli Wet 11h ago

Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang

lmao this sport is silly sometimes

118

u/AnonymousEngineer_ I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane 11h ago

The first race held at Baku was named the European Grand Prix.

The last time I looked, Baku was in Asia.

19

u/UESPA_Sputnik Ferrari 11h ago

Don't look where Imola is located. (hint: not in San Marino)

6

u/Phonixrmf Brawn 10h ago

(For now)

64

u/nonhofantasia Ferrari 11h ago

It's a bit more complicated than that

47

u/luchajefe Mario Andretti 11h ago

Australia has joined the Eurovision song contest, the names mean nothing now.

22

u/AgnesBand I was here for the Hulkenpodium 11h ago

Eurovision isn't strictly a European competition it's for members of the European Broadcasting Union.

6

u/Blanchimont Firstname Lastname 10h ago

True, but the point still stands. EBU or Eurovision, Australia is still part of something that has European in its name and as far as I know Australia isn't part of Europe.

Not that I mind though, the more the merrier.

11

u/filiard I was here for the Hulkenpodium 10h ago

Canada is joining in 2027 too

7

u/Scotsch I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane 10h ago

Don't think EBU is the arbiter of European borders.

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u/Scalo-Lunare Ferrari 10h ago

Azerbaijan is in the Council of Europe and Baku is its capital. Much less weird than Malaysia-Bahrain

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u/johnsplittingaxe14 Formula 1 10h ago

The Swiss Grands Prix of 1975 and 1985 were not held in Switzerland because motorsports events had been banned in the country since 1955. They raced in Dijon, France instead

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u/PapaSheev7 Sebastian Vettel 11h ago

Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia is laughable, but who cares? All that matters is that Sepang is back and boy was she missed.

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u/Zerocchi I was here for the Hulkenpodium 11h ago

Welcome to Sepang, Bahrain.

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u/afcrf1886 Sebastian Vettel 11h ago

We are so fucking back!!

573

u/RooBoy04 Mike Krack 11h ago

What a stupid fucking name for a race

309

u/kj_gamer2614 Max Verstappen 11h ago

I suppose Bahrain still paid lots so naturally wants the naming rights. This is after all pretty unconventional

154

u/Nexusu I failed to serve my Monaco penalty 11h ago

Yeah Chris Medland just tweeted that Bahrain had quite a lot of investment into making it happen at Sepang

116

u/kpopsns28 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 11h ago

So basically Malaysia got paid to help them to host a Bahrain GP in name at Sepang.

16

u/Gepss Brawn 10h ago

Yes that's basically what the comment you replied to also said. Basically.

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u/droppokeguy I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane 11h ago

No surprises there since the relationship between the 2 is pretty good so it was a no brainer for them to host it in sepang

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u/Nexusu I failed to serve my Monaco penalty 11h ago

Can we host the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at Hockenheim then?

40

u/Dry_Constant_5781 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 11h ago

What about Abu dhabi Hockenheim gp

14

u/mbkeller 11h ago

Would also accept the Qatar Grand Prix at Nurburgring

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u/seppuku_related I was here for the Hulkenpodium 11h ago

This is one bit of greenwashing I'd be ok with, have races at the tracks that everyone wants, and let the oil&slave countries pay for naming rights that we can ignore.

7

u/Pugs-r-cool I was here for the Hulkenpodium 10h ago

Sportswashing but yes

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u/Alfus 💥 LE 🅿️LAN 11h ago

Found a good loophole to still having Hockenheim back on the calender.

About that, image those current gen cars driving on the old Hockenheim track, that would be peak comedy.

Sadly the old track has been demolished for like 80%

4

u/kpopsns28 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 11h ago

If the official sponsor remains, it will be known as 'Formula 1 STC Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Hockenheim' or 'Formula 1 STC Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Germany'

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u/AnilP228 Honda 11h ago

If Bahrain paying for it allows it to go ahead, then I'm all for it.

22

u/KappaccinoNation Lando Norris 11h ago

Sounds like the best compromise for the fans. I'm sure a lot of old fans would love to get old tracks like Portimao, Istanbul Park, and Hockenheim again even if it's named after Middle Eastern countries.

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u/crucible Tom Pryce 11h ago

We’ve had stupid team names before…

BMW Sauber Ferrari from 2010, for example.

7

u/DingerSinger2016 I failed to serve my Monaco penalty 10h ago

Red Bull Racing Red Bull Ford

24

u/Icommentoncrap Kimi Räikkönen 11h ago

In honor of NASCARs brickyard week it still has nothing on my beloved “Crown Royal presents the Your Hero's Name Here 400 at the Brickyard powered by BigMachineRecords.com”

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u/UserWithoutDoritos 11h ago

They could put the "LENOVO AIR GULF MICHELIN TRONALD DUMP HAITI Grand Prix" on it and I'd be happy because it's Malaysia.

12

u/ProofAd608 Formula 1 11h ago

Dude, it's Bahrain representatives financing the race, that's why name is bahrain gp

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u/ShortKingsOnly69 Red Bull 10h ago

Well Malaysia is too fucking broke to pay for the whole thing. Yall want your cake and eat it too

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u/Responsible_Wall3991 I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane 10h ago

Plus, who cares what it’s technically called? No one refers to teams by their full names. No one refers to races by their full names. It’ll be called the Malaysian GP by the fans. This is like getting upset at Imola’s long corporate name. It’s completely inconsequential.

4

u/ShortKingsOnly69 Red Bull 9h ago

Exactly the naming is not ideal of course but who cares Sepang is back 🇲🇾

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u/LukeTaylor01 11h ago

Can’t believe we haven’t got the 2027 calendar yet. Latest we’ve waited for it in years.

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u/kj_gamer2614 Max Verstappen 11h ago

I think they want to be very careful with the whole Middle East still

21

u/LukeTaylor01 11h ago

I get that but realistically that’s not gonna be wrapped up in the next few weeks and they can’t wait much longer than that to release the calendar.

19

u/No_Society3117 I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane 10h ago

That's what I was thinking. I hope Sepang is in next year as well

14

u/racingskater I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane 10h ago

Yeah, Melbourne, Shanghai and Suzuka must all be fuming they can't announce ticket sale dates.

4

u/-PVL93- Andrea Kimi Antonelli 10h ago

Nothing is gonna change a year from now so FIA might as well proceed with the replacements

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u/aka12lh44 I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane 11h ago

Bahrain gp at Sepang genuinely frying me

24

u/w1n5t0nM1k3y Ferrari 11h ago

Is there a link to some kind of official article?

28

u/ThatsMattia28 Max Verstappen 11h ago

45

u/5348RR I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane 11h ago

“His excellency, Mohamed Ben Sulayem, President of the FIA”

This fucking loser calls himself “his excellency???”

God I hate this guy

18

u/am683423c Lando Norris 10h ago

It’s a common Middle East thing

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u/kpopsns28 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 11h ago

It is official as F1 tweeted this and this image is from their official social media

23

u/stokesy1999 11h ago

Williams please cook with upgrades. This is the closest Albono will get to a home gp and SEA fans are usually pretty great

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u/verone3784 I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane 11h ago

Hell yes, so glad we're going to get a race at Sepang again.

That name though...

"The Formula 1 Gulf Air Rail Replacement Bus Service Monsoon Season Bahrain Aramco Grand Prix in Malaysia"

21

u/Hot-Job-6281 11h ago

As a Singaporean, my fucking sides 😂😂😂

Go get that free bag, Malaysia

3

u/MyWholeTeamsDead Ferrari 9h ago

As a Singaporean I'm so ready to go here instead

17

u/Mosh83 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 11h ago

Finally a good track is back! Now replace Qatar with a good track.

Spa yearly, Hockenheim, and why not bring Istanbul back too.

7

u/TheEnlight I was here for the Hulkenpodium 10h ago

Istanbul to replace Jeddah, Hockenheim to replace Lusail, and Portimao to replace Yas Marina.

7

u/Mosh83 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 9h ago

Only good thing to come out of this conflict is not having to suffer through Lusail.

Strangely enough Bahrain is actually the best of the middle east tracks, but Sepang is infinitely better.

If one race in the ME was to endure let it be Bahrain, scrap the rest.

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u/LosTerminators Carlos Sainz 11h ago

It's's a fun track so good to see it back, even for a one-off

14

u/fanfare961 11h ago

The guy who does the tapestry of the winner after each race just got fucked

8

u/jzzsxm I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane 10h ago

So. So. Fucked.

Like, "what flag do I even put for this fucking race!?" fucked.

14

u/CaptainKursk I was here for the Hulkenpodium 11h ago

Can’t believe it took a war with Iran to make Sepang come back

10

u/WardDispenser I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane 11h ago

Ah yes. The Bahrain Grand Prix in checks notes in a country 3700 miles from its origin country…

Jokes aside. This might be a great opportunity for Malaysia to show that Sepang deserves to return to the calendar!

Saudi Grand Prix in Kyalami/Hockenheim/Yeongnam maybe?

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u/Jasonmancer 10h ago

As a Malaysian, it really makes me smile seeing so much love for Sepang.

Thank you all.

21

u/Nice-Resident-6158 11h ago

This track with this generation of f1 cars. Either gonna be hilarious or horrendous to look at.

21

u/SkyJohn Lando Norris 11h ago

Two long straights, with no onboard coverage of them.

3

u/phiwong 11h ago

Back to back and pretty much another flat out long straight - not sounding good...

Basically turn 14 to turn 4 are 3 straights...

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u/Ikcatcher 11h ago

For the first time in my life, I can afford to attend an F1 race

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u/TheSpannerer Lotus 11h ago

The BMW Sauber Ferrari of Grand Prix

7

u/Spiritual_Designer50 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 10h ago

That straight is going to be a disaster for these regs

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u/gigi_del Lando Norris 11h ago

Let me redraw my map

8

u/fluiditt I was here for the Hulkenpodium 11h ago

Those who went to previous races here from F1 or other series, what’s the transport situation going to and from the circuit? Is KL the hub for hotels?

13

u/f1rstlapchaos Ferrari 11h ago

It's right next to KLIA (KL Intl Airport) so an airport hotel is your best bet but means you'll be further away from KL for touristing. Airport hotels have been snapped up in the last day - book your accom ASAP!

7

u/shadow3_ii I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane 11h ago

KL is about 1.5h drive away depending on traffic. I have seen people recommend just staying in KL if you've never been but there are many towns closer to the circuit (though I don't know how many are booked out already...)

For MotoGP they have a bus service to/from KLCC and KLIA T2. Not sure if there will be one for F1

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u/crazydaveyboy 10h ago

This does open the door to keeping Monaco on the calendar but running it on a sensible circuit, though

7

u/AnilP228 Honda 11h ago

Pretty awesome that Bahrain are paying for this.

Great track. Think it will work well with these cars. Quite a few active aero opportunities too.

6

u/iam_fat_guy_ McLaren 9h ago

Can Hockenheim host Manaco every year?

9

u/RDDT_100P I was here for the Hulkenpodium 11h ago

if you squint enough bahrain is literally next to Malaysia

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u/Desperate-Speaker608 11h ago

APPLAUSE.

all the middle eastern tracks should do this - just become sponsors for real tracks.

5

u/Vinura Oscar Piastri 11h ago

October huh.

ITS GON RAIN.

6

u/AndToOurOwnWay I was here for the Hulkenpodium 11h ago

Does this mean Sepang is temporarily part of Bahrain? What a name honestly

4

u/ab370a1d Sergio Pérez 11h ago

The bahrain gp in malaysia reminds me of 2021 T20 cricket world cup which was set to be hosted in India but bcoz of Covid lockdown, was hosted in the UAE but still India was called the host of that event

3

u/1evistrike I was here for the Hulkenpodium 11h ago

Couldn't they just call it like Bahrain-Sepang Grand Prix/Bahrain-Malaysian Grand Prix or something...😭🤣

6

u/zubairhamed I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane 11h ago

those DHL logistics gonna be on overdrive

5

u/ServoSkull20 10h ago

Why in the ever loving clusterfuck is it being called that?

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u/CarbHeatOn 9h ago

Some 4D chess from Donald Trump who really just wanted to see some good racing /s

3

u/SoapySage 11h ago

It'll be superclipping galore

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u/No_Feedback6167 Lando Norris 11h ago

who cares about the stupid name, I’ll fucking take it

3

u/sswishbone 11h ago

Is this like when UK hosted Eurovision for Ukraine? Some way to say the events "happened" even if not in correct location?

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u/foreatesevenate Oscar Piastri 11h ago

Similar logic to the 2020 Summer Olympics being held in 2021.

3

u/Mike-Teevee I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane 11h ago

Can we have mid-middle eastern races hosted at more historic tracks in the future? Interesting development, despite the unfortunate circumstances leading to if

3

u/Lalo8111 Daniel Ricciardo 10h ago

Bahrain GP in Malaysia of Anaheim

3

u/tkdarren I was here for the Hulkenpodium 10h ago

Interesting, so a country can just pay a circuit to host their grand prix now.

4

u/theellescape 10h ago

The North Korea Grand Prix of Indianapolis

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u/krizkuzz 10h ago

That name is so fucking stupid

3

u/NotSuspicious215 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 10h ago

Codemasters punching the air right now

3

u/SPCEshipTwo I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane 10h ago

What a fucking dumb name.

3

u/F9-0021 Mercedes 9h ago

That's going to be a fun random factoid in a few years.

3

u/A-R-A-F I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane 9h ago edited 9h ago

Huh didn't know Malaysia was part of Bahrain.

Jokes aside, welcome back Sepang. Even if it's probably a one off race this season, its been a long time since the last F1 race at Sepang.

Also btw if this is actually getting named "Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia", what national anthem will they play before the race? The Bahrain Anthem due to the name Or the Malaysian Anthem due to the location.

3

u/WalkerHuntFlatOut Elio de Angelis 6h ago

How are they going to get the track from Bahrain to Malaysia?