F1 Malaysia 2026: Guide to the Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang

Formula 1 returns to Sepang International Circuit on 2 to 4 October 2026, its first race there since 2017. The grand prix starts at 15:00 Malaysia time, 07:00 UTC, on Sunday 4 October. Officially it is the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia 2026. The Bahrain name stays, and only the venue has changed.

Why a Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix is being run in Malaysia

The April race in Bahrain was cancelled over the conflict in the Middle East, and on 26 July 2026 Formula 1 and the FIA confirmed Sepang as the replacement venue. Bahrain keeps the name, the Gulf Air title sponsorship and the international ticket sales. It is Round 16 of 23, the weekend after Baku, covered in our Azerbaijan Grand Prix guide.

Formula 1 at Sepang: session times and concerts

All times are Malaysia time, UTC+8.

• Friday 2 October: practice at 12:30 and 16:00
• Saturday 3 October: practice at 12:30, qualifying at 16:00
• Sunday 4 October: the grand prix at 15:00 (07:00 UTC)

There is no sprint, and it is a daylight race, not the floodlit event Bahrain usually runs.

Bahrain International Circuit's concerts page names Axwell for Saturday and Martin Garrix after Sunday's race, as 50 and 100 US dollar upgrades for race-weekend ticket holders. A later circuit announcement limited them to tickets bought by 8 September, so ask the seller before buying a race ticket for the music.

Tickets: the two official channels, and what is left

Two channels are official. Bahrain International Circuit sells to overseas fans through its ticket page for international fans on bahraingp.com, and the Formula 1 ticket store holds a separate allocation at its own prices. Check both.

Watch the address. bahraingp.com is the circuit's site. bahrain.gp is a reseller whose own footer says it "is unofficial and is not associated in any way with the Formula 1 companies".

Every race ticket covers all three days. Malaysian citizens buy from a separate MyKad store, from RM200 to RM2,083.40. Whatever currency bahraingp.com displays, "your transaction will be processed in Bahraini Dinars". Tickets are strictly non-transferable, and refundable only where the terms say so. Children aged 3 to 6 pay 25% less on bahraingp.com, and under-3s enter free without a seat. The Formula 1 store releases e-tickets 5 to 10 days before the event.

Drones, selfie sticks and prams are prohibited outright. Bottles, cans, glass and your own food and drink are prohibited "unless permitted by the Venue Regulations", which override the ticket terms.

At the time of writing those regulations had not been published. Nor had gate times, umbrella and water rules, whether the venue takes cash, how bahraingp.com tickets are delivered, or any race shuttle or parking plan. Watch bahraingp.com and sepangcircuit.com in the final week. In 2017 the rail operator announced its race package two days ahead.

Which stand sees what, and which are covered

International availability on bahraingp.com at the time of writing:

Stand	Sees	Cover	bahraingp.com
Main Grandstand	Start, finish, pit boxes	Roofed canopy	565.40 USD listed, sold out in store
K1 Grandstand	Turns 1 and 2	"Seated & Rooftop"	Sold out
F Grandstand	Turns 7 and 8	"Seated & Rooftop"	Sold out
C Hillstand	Turns 9 to 11	Partly covered grass	Sold out
K2 Hillstand	Turns 1 and 2	Open grass	220.00 USD
B General Admission	Turns 12 to 14	Open grass	220.00 USD

The Formula 1 store offered only C Hillstand and K2 Hillstand, at 275.00 USD each. The Main Grandstand was still on the bahraingp.com price list while the store behind it said sold out, so treat it as gone unless the store says otherwise. K1 and F carry the "Seated & Rooftop" label, and nothing official says more about their cover. What is left is grass for three days, and C Hillstand is the only general-admission area with any cover.

Weather: heat, and a 15:00 start in the wettest months

The Malaysian Meteorological Department puts the main rainfall peak for most of Peninsular Malaysia in October and November, and records the west coast, where Sepang sits, taking its heaviest average monthly rainfall in the monsoon transitions. It describes those thunderstorms as forming in the afternoon, so a 15:00 start sits inside the storm window.

Weatherspark's climate averages put early-October highs near 31 °C and the chance of a wet day at about 43%. Bring a poncho. Umbrellas are not on the prohibited list, but nothing official allows them either.

Entering Malaysia: arrival card and visas

Submit the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card at the Immigration Department's MDAC portal. It is free, and it cannot be filed early. The form requires your trip to fall within 3 days, counting the day you submit, so an arrival on Friday 2 October means filing from 30 September. Fake MDAC sites charging up to USD 80 have been reported, so check that the address reads imigresen-online.imi.gov.my.

ASEAN nationals other than Myanmar need no visa for a stay under one month, and Indian citizens are exempt until 31 December 2026. Around thirty nationalities do need a visa, so check yours on the visa-requirement page at imi.gov.my.

Getting to Sepang, and getting out again

The circuit sits beside Kuala Lumpur International Airport, not in the city. The official 2017 race shuttle allowed 15 minutes from the airport's main terminal.

KLIA Ekspres runs from KL Sentral to Terminal 1 in 28 minutes, every 20 minutes, for RM55 single or RM100 return, with 10% off in the operator's app or on its website. KLIA Transit charges the same RM55 single, stops on the way and runs every 30 minutes at weekends. Its last stop before the airport, Salak Tinggi, is RM18.30 from KL Sentral, but no shuttle from there has been announced.

With no 2026 race shuttle announced, a Grab from the airport is the default, and it shows the fare before you book. Expressways in Peninsular Malaysia are reported to be fully cashless, so a hire car needs a Touch 'n Go card or toll tag. Contactless bank cards work only in open-payment lanes.

After the race, the last trains from the airport to KL Sentral leave at midnight from Terminal 2 and 00:05 from Terminal 1.

Hotels around KLIA give the shortest commute. From Kuala Lumpur, the circuit's own page says 30 minutes, and the 2017 race package allowed 50 minutes from KL Sentral by train and shuttle, before any race-day wait.

Staying connected at Sepang: why a Donesim eSIM fits a race weekend

Your phone books the Grab to the circuit and back and, if you bought from the Formula 1 store, holds your ticket. No public Wi-Fi is advertised on the circuit's own pages, and a race-day crowd will load the network at the peaks. On 26 August 2026 the communications minister said MCMC would work with the organisers so operators could add equipment at Sepang. That is a plan, not a delivered upgrade.

Roaming is the expensive answer. AT&T and Verizon price their international day passes at 12 USD, so three days is 36 USD if yours covers Malaysia. Telstra charges 10 Australian dollars a day for Malaysia.

A Malaysian tourist SIM is genuinely cheap. Operators' own pages list passes from RM6 for 24 hours to RM25 to RM35 for 7 to 15 days, and several operators sell at counters inside both KLIA terminals. What it costs is time and paperwork after a long flight. Operators ask a foreign buyer for the original passport and register at most two prepaid SIMs to a visitor, and a facial-recognition check against the passport is reported under MCMC's 2026 registration standard. A local operator's eSIM goes through the same registration.

A Donesim plan is bought and installed at home, so data is ready when you land. The checkout asks for an email address, not a passport. There is no counter and no queue, and your own SIM and number stay in the phone. At the time of writing 3 GB for 15 days costs 3.23 USD and 10 GB for 30 days costs 8.93 USD, or see every Malaysia plan. The 3 GB plan costs about a quarter of one 12 USD roaming day. Donesim's Malaysia page lists Maxis and CelcomDigi among its networks.

The plan is data only. There is no Malaysian number, calls and texts stay on your own SIM, and apps such as WhatsApp and Grab work over data. A plan cannot be topped up or extended in place, so choose the size before you buy.

Set up your eSIM before you fly

1. Check that your phone supports eSIM and is not locked to a carrier. Our compatibility list names the models.
2. Buy a day or two before you fly, not weeks ahead. Donesim notes that a plan "may begin when it is provisioned, installed, activated, or first connected".
3. Install on home Wi-Fi from your Donesim dashboard, by QR code or activation code. Our install walkthrough shows every screen.
4. After landing, turn on data roaming for the eSIM line only. Keep your home line for calls and texted bank codes.
5. Before leaving for the circuit, download your e-ticket and an offline map, and charge the phone.

Singapore follows on 9 to 11 October, with its own Singapore eSIM plans.

Frequently asked questions

What time does the Formula 1 race at Sepang start?

15:00 Malaysia time on Sunday 4 October 2026, which is 07:00 UTC. GPblog reported that the official app briefly showed Bahrain's usual night-race times before they were corrected, so check that your timetable is in Malaysia time.

How do I get from KLIA to Sepang International Circuit?

By road. The 2017 race shuttle allowed 15 minutes from the main terminal, and until a 2026 shuttle is announced the practical choice is a Grab. Terminals 1 and 2 are 3 minutes apart on the airport train.

When can I submit the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card?

Within 3 days of arrival, counting the day you submit, so from 30 September for a Friday 2 October arrival. It is free, and the only real portal is imigresen-online.imi.gov.my.

Does a Malaysia eSIM give me a Malaysian phone number?

Not a Donesim one. The plan is data only, and your number stays on your own SIM. A Malaysian number means a local prepaid SIM, with the passport registration that comes with it.