Sepang's Return: What to Expect as Malaysia Hosts F1 for the First Time Since 2017

Formula 1's return to Sepang this October will end a nine-year absence for a circuit that once staged 19 grands prix. Malaysia was a permanent fixture on the calendar from 1999 through 2017, with the final race won by Max Verstappen before the event was dropped amid falling attendances and rising hosting costs.

This time around, Malaysia steps in under unusual circumstances, hosting a Grand Prix that will still be titled the Bahrain Grand Prix, with the Gulf state funding the event after conflict-related disruption earlier this year forced a rethink. The October 2-4 date drops Sepang into the middle of a three-race away swing alongside Baku and Singapore, a demanding logistical stretch for teams already managing a long back half of the season.

Sepang's long, sweeping corners and tropical humidity were long regarded as one of the more physically demanding stops of the year, and teams returning after such a gap will have little current data to lean on beyond archived setups from the circuit's last runnings. That could make for an unpredictable weekend once cars hit the track.

Organizers in Malaysia have struck an upbeat tone about the race's revival, with officials saying the country is ready to showcase its infrastructure to a global audience once again. Should further reshuffling be needed for the season's remaining rounds in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, venues in Imola, Portugal and Turkey have already been mentioned as other circuits F1 could turn to.

As one of the more unfamiliar rounds on the calendar in recent memory, Playdash expects the Malaysia race to be a popular one for fans tracking odds and form shifts heading into the final months of the 2026 season.