After Bahrain's Cancellation

Replacement Race Found: A Comeback in Formula 1!

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26.07.2026 13:04
Porträt von krone Sport
Von krone Sport

It’s now official: Malaysia is returning to the Formula 1 race calendar on short notice. As announced by Formula 1, the race will take place on October 4 at the Sepang Circuit, south of the capital Kuala Lumpur, between the events in Azerbaijan and Singapore. 

“Once again, the sport has demonstrated its ability to adapt, find solutions, and implement them,” said Formula 1 boss Stefano Domenicali. The Grand Prix is considered a replacement for the World Championship race in Bahrain.

Stefano Domenicali
Stefano Domenicali(Bild: AFP/GIUSEPPE CACACE)

It is officially called the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. Formula 1 previously raced in Malaysia from 1999 to 2017. However, the organizer was subsequently unable to afford the multi-million entry fees. Since then, the MotoGP, among others, has called the country home.

Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Canceled Early
In mid-March, Formula 1 had removed the April races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia from the calendar without replacement due to the security situation following the outbreak of the Iran war, but had not canceled them entirely. As a result, the world tour was temporarily reduced from 24 to 22 Grand Prix races. With the return of Sepang—which is conveniently located near Kuala Lumpur International Airport—the calendar has temporarily expanded back to 23 events.

However, due to the renewed escalation of the war with Iran, the last two Grand Prix of the year—on November 29 in Qatar and December 6 in Abu Dhabi—are highly uncertain. Formula 1 officials are exploring options. Portimão in Portugal is considered a possible venue for the season finale in December. The event in the Algarve served as a replacement host in 2020 and 2021 during the COVID-19 crisis; it is set to return permanently for 2027 and 2028. However, Imola in Italy is also reportedly a possibility. The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix had been removed from this year’s calendar.

However, Imola is said to be a candidate not least because the Italian World Championship leader, Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes, could become world champion for the first time this year. For the teenager from Bologna, who could become the first Italian champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953, a finale in Imola would be a home race. On February 28, Israel and the U.S. launched massive airstrikes, marking the start of their war against Iran. In early April, representatives from Washington and Tehran agreed to a ceasefire, before the conflict escalated again.

This article has been automatically translated,
read the original article here.

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