Sepang will serve as the replacement venue for this year’s Bahrain GP, which is set to take place this October.
While the Malaysian Grand Prix has been absent from the Formula 1 calendar since 2017, F1 cars are nevertheless set to return to Sepang this October. Such is thanks to the ongoing kerfuffle in the Middle East, with the Bahrain Grand Prix instead set to be staged at Malaysia’s iconic circuit.
The rather unusual arrangement came about after Saudi Arabia’s race was dropped altogether amid the ongoing conflict in the region. Bahrain meanwhile remained keen to retain its place on the calendar by moving its grand prix to October, though renewed tensions ultimately ruled out racing at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, leaving Sepang to step in as the replacement venue.
So yes, in a rather weird twist of fate, the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix will take place some 6,000 km away from Bahrain, at Sepang from 2-4 October. It will slot into the calendar between the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on 27 September and the Singapore Grand Prix on 11 October, while still officially remaining the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Now of course, Malaysians hoping to catch an affordable race may unfortunately be in for some bad news. While the race will be taking place at Sepang, it is still very much Bahrain’s event. That means Bahrain will continue to pay Formula 1’s notoriously expensive hosting rights fee, with Malaysia instead only providing the venue and assisting with staging the event.
And since Bahrain remains the race promoter, ticket prices will ultimately still be determined by the Bahraini government. Speaking at a recent media session, Sepang International Circuit CEO Azhan Shafriman Hanif revealed that there is nevertheless still a slim chance of a special MyKad rate for Malaysians, though the final decision ultimately rests with Bahrain.
Beyond the hosting rights fee, SIC will also share the operational costs of staging the event with Bahrain. Azhan estimated those costs to be in the region of RM40 million, while previous reports have pegged Formula 1’s hosting rights fee alone at around USD80 million (RM 330 million).
Finally, as for Sepang’s readiness, Formula 1 representatives have already conducted an initial inspection and found no major obstacles to hosting the race. While no resurfacing work is required, several upgrades to the run-off areas and supporting infrastructure will still need to be completed before October, with preparations now underway around the clock.
