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Due to the well-known reasons regarding the Middle East, the Bahrain and Saudi races in the original 2026 F1 schedule of 24 races have been confirmed for cancellation, and the hope for hosting the last two races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi is becoming increasingly bleak.
Rumors claim there is a "minimum guarantee clause" in the contracts between F1 and some partners requiring at least 21 races to be held in 2026. If all four Middle Eastern races are cancelled, that would be a major trouble, so there have always been reports that the F1 side is looking for a suitable track to add a race. During the F1 Hungarian Grand Prix last weekend, they finally announced an extra race will be held at the Sepang Circuit in Malaysia between October 2nd and October 4th, but the name of this Grand Prix is very special: F1 Bahrain Grand Prix Malaysia.
The Sepang Circuit in Malaysia was one of the official F1 rounds a long time ago, the last time hosting an F1 race was in 2017. After 9 years, why would Sepang have a "limited-time return", why does the Malaysian race have to do with Bahrain, there are actually quite a few details behind this.
A "Super Substitute" with Suitable Time and Space
First, let's talk about why the Sepang Circuit in Malaysia was chosen. The core principle for F1 this time in selecting an extra race venue is: do not affect the existing race schedule, and have the ability to organize races quickly. There were three proposals in previous rumors: adding races in European tracks such as Portugal and Spain; wrapping up with a double race in Las Vegas at the end of the year; adding a race at Sepang, Malaysia.
According to the original calendar, after the summer break in July and August, F1 will race three more stages in the Netherlands, Italy, and Spain at the end of August and beginning of September, then leave the European continent for Asia and the Americas. Organizing a race in Europe within such a short time is really too difficult. As for letting the 11 teams jump back and forth between Asia, Europe, and America after September, it is also unrealistic, so the option of adding a race in Europe can basically be ruled out.
As for the end-of-year Las Vegas double race plan, not to mention whether they are willing to pay two hosting fees, just the timing is a bit too late, reaching the end of November. If anything happens in between, the situation will become even more complex, so the Las Vegas double race plan can only be said to be a last resort.
Sepang just happens to be the choice with suitable time and space. The race period from October 2nd to October 4th is more than two months away from now, enough to complete race organization. Spatially, Malaysia is right next to the next host Singapore, logistics are easy to schedule.
The key is that although Sepang Circuit hasn't hosted F1 in these years, top events like MOTO GP are still being hosted there, the track still retains FIA Grade 1 track status, which is much more convenient compared to those old European tracks that haven't hosted races for years and need renovation.
Bahrain Pays the Bills, Malaysia Does the Work
As for why the Malaysian race is sponsored by Bahrain? Simply put, Bahrain pays the money, Malaysia does the work. This leads to the reason why Malaysia withdrew from the F1 calendar back then: Money.
The reason Malaysia withdrew from F1 back then was simply that they felt the income didn't cover the expenses. The high hosting fees were not proportional to the additional income from tickets and tourism generated by the races. Afterwards, the Malaysian side expressed multiple times that they do not exclude F1, but the prerequisite is that someone must pay the hosting fee, so this matter has stagnated here.
And this time, Malaysia waited for that money-rich patron: Bahrain. For this major oil-producing country in the Middle East, money has never been a problem, the problem is they want to maintain F1 exposure. Since they cannot host at home for the time being, paying to sponsor a race in another place is not impossible.
For Malaysia, someone is paying the hosting fee, and the derived tourism income and so on is basically free money. So F1 mediated, and the "F1 Bahrain Grand Prix Malaysia" which had no precedent and may not have successors was formed.
"Tremendous Wealth" for Chinese Fans: No Need to Ask for Leave and Visa-Free
With Malaysia's return to F1, there is no one happier than Chinese fans. The timing of this Malaysian stage is simply too good.
For fans who want to watch live, the Malaysian race falls during the National Day Holiday period, no extra leave needed. Moreover, Malaysia is visa-free for us, the distance is not far and ticket prices are relatively friendly. Watching live, whether in terms of time cost or economic cost, is quite friendly.
Even if not going to the scene and watching live at home, the Malaysian stage is also quite friendly. Malaysia and China belong to UTC+8, no time difference problem, and Malaysia does not hold night races like Singapore. This means you sleep naturally at home, watch the race comfortably in the afternoon, and go out for dinner with friends at night without delaying anything. Moreover, Malaysia has a lot of rain, whenever it rains, the race always produces famous scenes. Watching the race comfortably at home, eating with friends at night and talking about the famous scenes of the race, how nice.
However, Sepang's "limited-time return" this time is a coincidence where all favorable circumstances aligned. Whether there will be more in the future is hard to say. So for friends who really want to go to the venue, get ready to grab tickets. If you miss this chance this year, it is really unknown if it will exist next year.
