Formula 1 will return to Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit for the first time in nearly a decade after the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix was relocated from its traditional Sakhir venue, with McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri among the drivers who have never raced at the track.
The Bahrain Grand Prix, unable to be held at Sakhir, will take place at Sepang — a circuit that was a fixture on the F1 calendar from 1999 through 2017 before disappearing from the schedule. The return marks a significant logistical and technical challenge for all teams, with nine years of limited competitive data at the venue under current car regulations.
McLaren Senior Director of Racing Randy Singh acknowledged the difficulties the venue presents. “Returning to Sepang for the first time in almost a decade presents an interesting challenge, particularly with limited recent data for this generation of cars,” Singh said in the team’s official race preview. “We have prepared extensively in the simulator, including giving Lando and Oscar time to learn the circuit, but there can be uncertainty around the accuracy of circuit models and our understanding of the tarmac, which will be an important factor in tyre behaviour.”
Sepang’s 15-corner layout, which stretches more than 20 metres wide in places, combines long straights with high-speed direction changes through Turns 5, 6, 10, 11, and 13. Singh said the circuit demands a careful aerodynamic balance. “The long straights place a premium on power and deployment optimisation, while the range of corners rewards a car with good load,” he said.
Tyre management will be central to race strategy. Multi-stop races have historically been the norm at Sepang due to high degradation, though Singh noted that if overtaking proves more difficult under the 2026 power unit regulations, strategic priorities could shift toward track position.
Weather adds another layer of complexity. Sepang is notorious for heavy afternoon rainfall, and Singh flagged that no competitive wet sessions have yet taken place under the current regulations. “Sepang can produce rainfall of considerable intensity,” he said, pointing to the 2009 Malaysian Grand Prix — stopped and cut short by a storm — as a reminder of what the circuit can produce.
McLaren arrives at Sepang off the back of a difficult Azerbaijan Grand Prix, where Norris retired following a collision with Franco Colapinto and Piastri dropped out of the points on Lap 40 after a lock-up. The team sits third in the Constructors’ Championship on 306 points, 72 behind second place. Norris is fourth in the Drivers’ standings with 186 points, while Piastri is seventh on 120.
Singh said the significant upgrade package introduced in Baku should suit Sepang’s more varied layout better than the street circuit’s characteristics, though McLaren does not plan to bring a major new package to Malaysia — only some circuit-specific bodywork.