- The next F1 race is on Sunday, 4 October 2026, at Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia.
- Its official name is the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.
- The race starts at 15:00 local time, equivalent to 08:00 BST, 03:00 ET and 04:00 in Brasília.
Formula 1 returns one week after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, won by George Russell. The next round takes place at Sepang International Circuit from Friday, 2 October, to Sunday, 4 October 2026, with practice on Friday and Saturday, qualifying on Saturday and the Grand Prix on Sunday.
The event is officially called the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. Bahrain remains in the race name, but the cars will race at Sepang, not in Bahrain. The 5.543km Malaysian circuit is scheduled to host a 56-lap race.
Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia 2026: F1 schedule by time zone
| Session | Malaysia (MYT) | UK (BST) | US East Coast (ET) | India (IST) | Sydney |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FP1 — Fri, 2 Oct | 12:30 | 05:30 | 00:30 | 10:00 | 14:30 AEST |
| FP2 — Fri, 2 Oct | 16:00 | 09:00 | 04:00 | 13:30 | 18:00 AEST |
| FP3 — Sat, 3 Oct | 12:30 | 05:30 | 00:30 | 10:00 | 14:30 AEST |
| Qualifying — Sat, 3 Oct | 16:00 | 09:00 | 04:00 | 13:30 | 18:00 AEST |
| Race — Sun, 4 Oct | 15:00 | 08:00 | 03:00 | 12:30 | 18:00 AEDT |
All dates in the table are local to the time zones shown. Sydney changes from AEST to AEDT on race Sunday; its race start is therefore 18:00.
The weekend follows a Baku race that cut Kimi Antonelli’s championship lead over Russell to 66 points. Antonelli leads the Drivers’ Championship with 302 points to Russell’s 236 heading into Sepang.
F1 today: FAQ
Who leads the 2026 F1 championship after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix?
Kimi Antonelli leads with 302 points. George Russell is second on 236, leaving a 66-point gap after Baku.
Who won the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix?
George Russell won for Mercedes, ahead of Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar.
Which team leads the 2026 F1 Constructors’ Championship?
Mercedes leads with 538 points, 160 ahead of Ferrari.
When is the next F1 race after Azerbaijan?
The Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia takes place on Sunday, 4 October 2026, at Sepang International Circuit.
