What time is the Bahrain GP in Malaysia? Sunday’s Sepang race schedule

Summary

The Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia starts at 15:00 local time on Sunday, 4 October.
That is 08:00 BST, 03:00 EDT, midnight PDT and 12:30 IST.
Australian daylight saving begins on race day, affecting the times in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide.

The Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia starts at 15:00 MYT on Sunday, 4 October, at the Sepang International Circuit. That converts to 08:00 in the United Kingdom, 03:00 on the US and Canadian east coasts, 12:30 in India and 18:00 in Sydney and Melbourne.

For viewers on the US and Canadian west coasts, the race begins at midnight as Saturday turns into Sunday. Australia’s daylight-saving change also matters: participating states move their clocks forward before the grand prix.

Formula 1 is racing at Sepang for the first time since 2017. Max Verstappen starts from pole alongside Lewis Hamilton, with Kimi Antonelli moving to third following Isack Hadjar’s grid penalty.

Bahrain GP race start time: UK, US, India and Canada

All times below refer to Sunday, 4 October 2026, except where Saturday is explicitly shown.

Country or region	Race start	Time zone
Malaysia — Sepang and Kuala Lumpur	15:00	MYT
United Kingdom	08:00	BST
United States — New York and Miami	03:00	EDT
United States — Chicago and Austin	02:00	CDT
United States — Denver	01:00	MDT
United States — Los Angeles	00:00	PDT
Canada — Toronto and Montreal	03:00	EDT
Canada — Winnipeg	02:00	CDT
Canada — Calgary	01:00	MDT
Canada — Vancouver	00:00	PDT
India	12:30	IST
UTC reference	07:00	UTC

Midnight PDT means the beginning of Sunday, not the end of Sunday night. Viewers in Los Angeles and Vancouver should prepare to watch late on Saturday evening.

What time does the race start in Australia?

The grand prix takes place on the day daylight saving begins in New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory.

Sydney and Melbourne use AEDT for Sunday’s race, while Adelaide uses ACDT. Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory do not observe daylight saving.

Australian location	Race start — Sunday, 4 October	Time zone
Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Hobart	18:00	AEDT
Adelaide	17:30	ACDT
Brisbane	17:00	AEST
Darwin	16:30	ACST
Perth	15:00	AWST

This is particularly important for fans who followed qualifying on Saturday: Sunday’s conversion is one hour later in the states switching to daylight saving.

Sunday’s Sepang schedule

The official timetable lists the drivers’ parade two hours before the race. The grand prix is scheduled for 56 laps, with the session window running from 15:00 to 17:00 local time.

Activity	Malaysia — MYT	UK — BST	US/Canada Eastern — EDT	India — IST	Sydney/Melbourne — AEDT
Drivers’ parade	13:00	06:00	01:00	10:30	16:00
National anthem	14:44	07:44	02:44	12:14	17:44
Race start	15:00	08:00	03:00	12:30	18:00

These are event times, rather than television programme start times. The schedule remains subject to changes announced by the organisers.

Where can you watch the Bahrain GP in Malaysia?

Viewing options depend on your country. GRANDE PRÊMIO has a dedicated Sepang television and streaming guide for the UK, US, India, Australia and Canada, covering the main services and subscription distinctions.

Broadcast coverage may begin before the official race start. Check your provider’s programme listing so you can follow the build-up as well as the grand prix.

Who starts on pole at Sepang?

Max Verstappen starts first, with Lewis Hamilton alongside him on the front row. Verstappen recorded a 1:35.130 in qualifying, beating Hamilton by 0.298s.

Hadjar qualified third but carries a five-place penalty. Antonelli consequently moves onto the second row ahead of Charles Leclerc, while Lando Norris starts fifth.

The complete order and the effects of the three penalised drivers are explained in the Sepang starting-grid guide.

Formula 1 continues this weekend, from 2–4 October, in Malaysia, which hosts the Bahrain Grand Prix. GRANDE PRÊMIO will cover all the action at Sepang.