The Prime Minister of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, promised an announcement for this Sunday (26) regarding Sepang’s return to the Formula 1 calendar as early as 2026, on an extraordinary basis amid the imminent cancellation of races in the Middle East. If confirmed, the event is expected to form a triple-header alongside the Azerbaijan and Singapore GPs.

Initially, F1 management considered rescheduling the Bahrain GP in that slot, should a ceasefire occur between the United States and Iran. The countries have been at war since February of this year, and the conflict has also impacted Middle Eastern nations hosting U.S. military bases—such as Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Abu Dhabi, all four F1 rounds currently under threat.

However, the sport faces logistical hurdles to prevent the originally 24-race calendar from shrinking down to just 20 rounds. A return to Europe is deemed unfeasible due to these logistical constraints, which opened the door for other venues to enter the picture.

The Turkish GP, for instance, was among the candidates considered, but Istanbul Park is currently undergoing renovations to host F1 starting in the 2027 season. That scenario brought Malaysia into play, given its proximity to Singapore and the circuit’s convenient access to the airport.

“Regarding F1, we will make an announcement on Sunday,” promised Ibrahim during an inauguration ceremony for a school in Bukit Mertajam, Penang state, as reported by the Malaysian newspaper The Star. Furthermore, Sepang International Circuit’s social media accounts recently posted messages and videos teasing a major upcoming announcement, further fueling rumors of F1’s return to the country.

This weekend, the FIA World Motor Sport Council will convene to decide whether to retain or cancel the Qatar and Abu Dhabi rounds of the World Endurance Championship (WEC). F1 is expected to follow a similar verdict, and while it has a few more weeks to finalize its decision, a resolution is likely to come before the summer break—meaning this Sunday.

WEC relocated the Qatar 1812 km to late in the year due to the escalating war. As it stands, that round is scheduled for October 24, while the 8 Hours of Abu Dhabi is slated for November 7.

In F1, Qatar and Abu Dhabi are scheduled for November 29 and December 6, respectively. Malaysia, however, would not feature at the end of the year, but rather in the gap between Baku and Singapore, forming a triple-header. As for the season finale, GRANDE PRÊMIO understands that Las Vegas is an option, though discussions have also pointed to Portugal, two weeks after the American race, and even Imola.

Sepang hosted F1 from 1999 to 2017 and was always well received by drivers and teams, but the excessively high hosting fees demanded at the time led to the event dropping off the schedule. The circuit, however, remains in regular use by MotoGP and other international racing series.

GRANDE PRÊMIO is covering all the track action from the Hungarian GP, the 11th round of the 2026 season.

Sepang (Photo: F1)

F1 Hungarian GP: when to watch in US ET, London (UK), New Delhi (India), Shanghai (China) and Sydney (Australia)

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