The Malaysian Grand Prix is on the verge of a sudden return to Formula 1. The Asian country’s prime minister has confirmed an announcement is coming later this weekend regarding his nation’s participation in the sport, as F1 bosses take extra steps to try to preserve the length of calendar that they have left.
This was due to be another 24-race season, but two events were lost when the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix, scheduled for April, never went ahead due to conflict in the Middle East. There were hopes that at least one of those events could be revived but renewed hostilities in the region have scuppered those plans.
The empty weekend of October 3-4 was targeted as a possible date for the Bahrain Grand Prix to be held. But it is understood that F1 is set to confirm that plan has been abandoned and that Sepang has been chosen instead as the venue for a newly-scheduled race on that weekend.
It falls between the Azerbaijan and Singapore Grands Prix, turning it into a triple header. Malaysia’s close proximity to Singapore and the fact the Sepang circuit is neaer to Kuala Lumpur’s main international airport are both facts that make putting on a race there at short notice a practical endeavour.
That said, Sepang has not held an F1 race since 2017, which was won by Max Verstappen for Red Bull. It continues to be an annual venue for MotoGP racing, though, while the circuit has retained its Grade 1 FIA certification which is required for any track wishing to host an F1 World Championship event.
The announcement of its return looks set to be made this weekend. Malaysian prime minister Anwar Ibrahim told the country’s media: “With regards to F1, we will make an announcement on Sunday.” The social media accounts of the Sepang circuit have also been teasing F1 fans with a series of posts and videos hinting that the sport is set for a return.
As it stands, the addition of a Malaysia race to the calendar would take it back up to a 23-event schedule for 2026. It may not remain that way, though, as there continues to be doubt of the two Middle East races that are due to round off the season. The Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix are scheduled for late November and early December respectively.
The hope remains that those race will be able to go ahead, but that will depend on whether a sustained period of peace is seen in the coming weeks. Because teams will soon have to start shipping freight to the region, F1 chiefs only have a few more weeks at most to make a call though, as it stands, those two races are going ahead.
An alternative plan would be for Portimao in Portugal to host a season finale, should those two Middle East events be scrapped. The circuit is due to return to the F1 calendar next year anyway, along with Istanbul Park in Turkey.