News Summary
- Race Control has announced a delayed start because of excessive rain.
- Torrential rain arrived shortly before the scheduled 15:00 start in Malaysia.
- Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton are due to start from the front row.
Torrential rain has delayed the start of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, with Race Control announcing that conditions at Sepang were unsuitable for the scheduled start on Sunday, 4 October.
The downpour hit approximately 20 minutes before lights out, interrupting preparations for the Formula 1 race, which had been scheduled to begin at 15:00 local time.
“Delayed start due to excessive rain,” read the Race Control announcement.
No revised start time was included in that initial message. The announcement confirms a delay to the start, rather than a cancellation of the race.
Max Verstappen is due to start from pole position alongside Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli will line up third after Isack Hadjar’s grid penalty.
The rain adds another uncertainty to a weekend already shaped by high temperatures and tyre degradation. Teams must now await further instructions from Race Control before the starting procedure can proceed.
GRANDE PRÊMIO will cover all the action at Sepang, including further announcements about the delayed start.
F1 today: FAQ
What time is F1 qualifying at Sepang?
Qualifying starts on Saturday, 3 October, at 16:00 Malaysia time. That is 09:00 BST in the UK, 04:00 EDT in New York and Toronto, 01:00 PDT in Los Angeles and Vancouver, 13:30 IST in India and 18:00 AEST in Sydney.
Did Lewis Hamilton receive a grid penalty for the Bortoleto incident?
No. Hamilton received a warning after impeding Gabriel Bortoleto during FP2 at Sepang. Ferrari was fined €10,000, but Hamilton will not lose grid positions over the incident.
Why were F1 lap times at Sepang over four seconds slower than expected?
Pirelli identified low grip, dust and an abrasive surface that increased tyre sliding and degradation. Friday’s benchmark was more than four seconds slower than its qualifying simulation reference, rather than four seconds slower than the 2017 race weekend.
Why has the Bahrain GP start been delayed?
Race Control announced a delayed start because of excessive rain at Sepang.
