The 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix takes place today, but not in Bahrain. The race is being held at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia, following the cancellation of the original event due to the ongoing war in the Middle East.
Why the race moved to Sepang
Both the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Grand Prix races were cancelled at the start of 2026 after the US and Israel attacked Iran in February. Bahrain wanted their race to go ahead regardless, and Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa managed to strike an agreement to host the event in Malaysia.
The Bahraini theme will be kept for the event this weekend, while the trophy will be the usual Bahrain Grand Prix trophy and rosewater, which replaces the champagne that is often sprayed by the top-three finishers on the podium after the race, aligning with the Middle East’s custom of not consuming alcohol.
Recent races and current standings
The race follows the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku last week, where Mercedes’ George Russell claimed victory and Red Bull duo Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar completed the podium. Before that, young Italian Kimi Antonelli continued to impress with a win in Spain - his eighth race victory of the season - and he comfortably leads the F1 Drivers’ Standings on 302 points with only eight races left to go this term.
He and the rest of the grid will face a completely new challenge at this year’s Bahrain GP, with heavy rain causing chaos and delays in Sepang on Sunday. The event takes place at the Sepang track, as F1 wanted a location that could seamlessly slot in between the Azerbaijan and Singapore Grands Prix.
