According to a report by NST, the government has confirmed it has received preliminary information on the possibility of hosting a Formula 1 race at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) should the Bahrain Grand Prix be replaced later this year.
Youth and sports minister Taufiq Johari said the matter had been brought to the attention of Prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his ministry, with discussions and evaluations now actively underway.
“The prime minister and the ministry have received preliminary information on the possibility of organising a Formula 1 race at the Sepang International Circuit to replace the Bahrain Formula One race,” Taufiq told the news outlet.
“In this regard, discussions and assessments by the ministry are actively being carried out. The ministry remains committed to its mission of supporting the development of sports in the country, including motorsports. Any further developments will be announced once the matter has been finalised,” he added.
As per our earlier report, Formula 1 is eyeing a slot between the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Sept 27 and the Singapore Grand Prix on Oct 11 in the event the Bahrain race is called off due to the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
The Bahrain Grand Prix was originally scheduled for April 12, with the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix following a week after on April 19. However, Formula 1 announced in March that both races would be cancelled due to the conflict, which led to an enforced break in April.
While Saudi Arabia’s race will not be rescheduled, Bahrain had been hoping to still have its grand prix back proceed on the weekend of October 4. ESPN reports that Malaysia has emerged as a serious candidate to host a race if Formula 1 is unable to reschedule the Bahrain Grand Prix.
With the 2026 season already shortened to 22 races and the final two grand prix in Qatar on November 29 and Abu Dhabi on December 6 in doubt, Formula 1 is looking to fill a potential gap in the calendar.
SIC first hosted the F1 Malaysian Grand Prix in 1999, but due to the rising cost of hosting the event as well as declining ticket sales, the federal government decided to end it after the final race in 2017. Talk of a potential return has been going around for some time, although the recurring response has been it’s not going to happen.
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