Sepang's untouched 2017 asphalt shapes Pirelli's tyre plan for F1's Malaysian return

When Formula 1's 2026 cars take to Sepang International Circuit next Friday, they will race on a surface no current F1 car has driven on. That surface has not changed since Sebastian Vettel, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton raced there in 2017. The age of the asphalt has shaped the tyres Pirelli chose for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.

The compounds: C2, C3 and C4

Pirelli will bring the C2 as the hard, C3 as the medium and C4 as the soft. That is the middle of its range and one step harder than the C3-C4-C5 set chosen for the street races either side of Sepang, in Baku this weekend and in Singapore the weekend after.

Pirelli gave a direct reason in its official announcement: "The asphalt in Kuala Lumpur is particularly abrasive and has not been resurfaced since the last Formula 1 race held there in 2017."

A rough surface wears tyres faster, but Pirelli still chose not to go harder. It said avoiding harder compounds is meant to "reduce the lap time differential between a one-stop and a two-stop race, thereby encouraging a wider range of potential race strategies."

Working from 2017 data

The short notice made the job harder. The race was only confirmed for Sepang in late July, giving Pirelli about 10 weeks to prepare. Pirelli motorsport director Dario Marrafuschi told Autosport that the company would lean on its last visit, noting that "the last race in Malaysia was in 2017". The medium, soft and supersoft tyres used that year correspond broadly to today's C2, C3 and C4.

The tight timeline also meant that tyres had to be sent by air rather than by sea, and there was no chance to inspect the track surface in advance. "There is a lot of headache about that," Marrafuschi said of the season's changing calendar.

Grandprix.com noted that teams will arrive with extensive simulations but limited real data. None of the cars built to the 2026 regulations has ever raced at Sepang.

Heat, humidity and brave corners

Sepang has always been hard on tyres and drivers. Hamilton once described the Malaysian races as "the most extreme because of the intense heat" in comments reported by Bernama. He also said, "I love racing at Sepang, that track was incredible, it was a great circuit."

Former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya told Motorsport.com that "you need to be extra brave to go be fast there." He named two drivers who could shine: "I think it's an amazing track for a guy like Max, who likes hustling the car. I think Antonelli is going to succeed there as well." Verstappen won the 2017 Malaysian Grand Prix, and Kimi Antonelli goes into this weekend's Azerbaijan race leading the championship.

What to watch in practice

Friday practice will matter more than usual. Teams will have two one-hour sessions to learn the track and how the tyres wear. Practice starts at 12.30pm and 4pm Malaysian time on 2 October. Watch for tyre degradation on long runs in FP2. It will show whether Pirelli's hope for a mix of one-stop and two-stop strategies is realistic, or whether the rough Sepang asphalt pushes everyone towards the same plan.

Key takeaways

• Pirelli has chosen the C2 (hard), C3 (medium) and C4 (soft) compounds for the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang.
• Pirelli says the Sepang asphalt is "particularly abrasive" and has not been resurfaced since 2017.
• The choice is designed to keep one-stop and two-stop strategies close.
• Pirelli prepared using 2017 data and had to send the tyres by air.
• Juan Pablo Montoya tipped Verstappen and Antonelli to go well at Sepang.

FAQ

Why not use the softest tyres, like Baku and Singapore? Sepang's abrasive, unresurfaced track wears tyres harder than the smooth street circuits, so Pirelli chose one step harder.

When did F1 last race at Sepang? The last Malaysian Grand Prix was held in 2017. Max Verstappen won it.

Will the race be a one-stop or two-stop? No one knows yet. Pirelli picked its compounds to keep both options open, and Friday's long runs will give the first real clues.

Sources: Pirelli, Autosport, Grandprix.com, Motorsport.com, Bernama