Bahrain GP at Sepang: UK Schedule, How to Watch on Sky — SkimNews
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Formula 1 returns to Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia for the first time since 2017, hosting the Bahrain Grand Prix after Bahrain couldn't stage their April race at Sakhir due to conflict in the Middle East
- Sepang International Circuit is a 3.44-mile, 15-corner layout designed by Hermann Tilke that staged its inaugural Grand Prix in 1999 and is widely regarded as one of the best of the newer-generation tracks
- Sky Sports F1's schedule starts with Practice One at 5am Friday October 2, qualifying at 9am Saturday October 3, and the race itself at 8am Sunday October 4 — all UK times — thanks to Malaysia being seven hours ahead
- George Russell won the previous round in Baku by less than two tenths from Max Verstappen, while Kimi Antonelli leads the championship by 66 points with eight rounds remaining; Lewis Hamilton sits 103 back and Lando Norris 116 back
- McLaren are expected to be strong at the high-speed Sepang circuit, per the article, with tropical weather bringing heat, humidity and the threat of thunderstorms that could finally deliver a wet qualifying or race in 2026
- The 2017 Malaysian Grand Prix was won by Max Verstappen for Red Bull, the last time F1 raced at Sepang before this weekend's return
Why it matters: The last-minute relocation from Bahrain to Sepang — driven by Middle East conflict — gives UK fans breakfast-time F1 viewing at a track widely considered a drivers' favorite, while Antonelli's 66-point championship lead faces its stiffest remaining test on a circuit expected to suit McLaren's pace.
Ask SkimNews
