Formula One returns this weekend for another Grand Prix, officially Bahrain's, but with a key difference: the race will not be held in Bahrain. Instead, it takes place at the Sepang track in Malaysia.
The move follows the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, where Mercedes' George Russell took victory, with Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar completing the podium in Baku last week. Before that, young Italian Kimi Antonelli continued to impress with a win in Spain - his eighth maximum points this season - and he leads the driver standings on 302 points.
Why is the Bahrain GP taking place in Malaysia?
Both the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Grand Prix races were cancelled at the start of 2026 because of the ongoing war in the Middle East, when 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.
Bahraini theme and trophy maintained
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 at the top three finishers on the podium after the race, aligning with the Middle East's custom of not consuming alcohol.
The event will take place at the Sepang track, as F1 wanted a location that could seamlessly slot in between the Azerbaijani and Singaporean Grand Prix races.
