Malaysia has become a serious contender to host a Formula 1 race in 2026 should organizers fail to find a new date for the Bahrain Grand Prix, according to people familiar with the situation.
Formula 1 called off races in both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia earlier this year after conflict involving Iran made those events untenable. While the Saudi Arabian race will not be rescheduled, Bahrain had initially hoped to move its event to early October, filling a gap on the calendar between scheduled races in Azerbaijan and Singapore.
Why Malaysia is under consideration
F1 remains eager to fill that open date with a replacement event, a need made more urgent by ongoing uncertainty surrounding two of the season’s final races later in the year. With no guarantee those late season events will proceed either, organizers are exploring contingency options well in advance.
Recent escalation between the United States and Iran has only deepened concerns, making the prospect of Bahrain hosting any event this year increasingly unlikely after the country was struck by missiles fired from Iran earlier this week. That development has pushed Malaysia further into consideration as the leading alternative.
The Sepang circuit, which hosted F1 races for nearly two decades before falling off the calendar, has reportedly emerged as the strongest candidate among several venues that have expressed interest in stepping in. Beyond its popularity among fans and drivers during its previous run on the calendar, the circuit also offers clear logistical advantages that make it a practical fit for the surrounding race schedule.
A broader decision looms this weekend
Motorsport’s global governing body is meeting this weekend to determine the fate of separate endurance racing events planned for the Middle East, including a rescheduled race in Qatar and a season ending event in Bahrain. Should that governing body decide to cancel both events over safety concerns, it would effectively eliminate any remaining possibility of Bahrain hosting an F1 race even sooner than previously discussed, and would deepen existing doubts about the closing races of F1’s own season.
Insiders say Formula 1 intends to delay any final decision on those season ending races for as long as possible, though sentiment within the paddock increasingly points toward both events ultimately being called off.
What this means for the F1 calendar
Before hostilities disrupted the schedule, F1 had planned a twentyfour race season for the year. Malaysia stepping back onto the calendar would mark a return for a circuit that once produced memorable moments, including a win from a driver who would go on to become one of the sport’s biggest stars. For now, no final decision has been made, but growing regional instability appears to be accelerating the timeline for choosing a replacement venue.
