F1 Returns to Sepang After Nine Years: Anwar Walks the Pit Lane with Bahrain's Crown Prince Ahead of the Bahrain GP in Malaysia
SEPANG, Malaysia — On October 1, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim joined Bahrain's Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, for a pit lane walk at the Sepang International Circuit, ahead of the 2026 Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, to be held from October 2 to 4. The event marks Formula 1's return to Sepang after nine years — the circuit last hosted a grand prix in 2017.
In July, Formula 1 confirmed that Malaysia would host the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix from October 2 to 4, following an agreement between F1, the FIA, and the governments of Malaysia and Bahrain, after the situation in the Middle East made the original venue unusable. Sepang thus becomes the temporary home of the Bahraini race. For Malaysia, it is a chance to show a global television audience its capacity to stage major events, and a direct boost for hotels, restaurants and tourism businesses around Kuala Lumpur.
Anwar discussed hosting preparations with the Bahraini Crown Prince during the walk. Local carriers such as Malaysia Airlines have packaged the Southeast Asian double-header: fans can watch the Bahrain GP at Sepang and then continue to the Singapore Grand Prix on October 9–11, with Kuala Lumpur as the connecting hub.
The Sepang International Circuit, next to Kuala Lumpur International Airport, opened in 1999 and was long known on the F1 calendar for heat and sudden rain — and this weekend's forecasts again leave rain in play. For Malaysia's Chinese car-racing fans and local businesses, F1's return is both a sporting festival and a rare burst of international exposure; traffic and weather arrangements are the practical details spectators are advised to check in advance.
Sources: Compiled from MCI Group's October 2 report (via Bernama) and Travel PR News' summary of the race arrangements.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 雪邦国际赛车场赛道，Craig 摄，公共领域（Wikimedia Commons）
