<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When Formula 1 returns to Sepang this week, most of the drivers on the grid will be racing there in a Grand Prix for the first time. Twelve of the 22 drivers entered in the 2026 championship have never started an F1 race at the circuit<\/strong>, which last hosted the series nine years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The other ten have 56 Sepang starts between them. Fernando Alonso accounts for 16, stretching from his 2001 season with Minardi to Formula 1\u2019s last visit in 2017. Lewis Hamilton is next with 11. At the opposite end of the group, Lance Stroll and Pierre Gasly each have one start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia takes place from 2 to 4 October. Its name reflects the relocation of the Bahrain round, but all track activity will be held at Sepang. GRANDE PR\u00caMIO<\/strong> has explained why the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix is being held in Malaysia<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The figures below count Grand Prix starts at Sepang<\/strong>, including races the driver did not finish. Practice or testing appearances are not counted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Alonso\u2019s first Malaysian Grand Prix came in 2001, when he finished 13th for Minardi. He was absent from the F1 grid in 2002, then raced at Sepang every year from 2003 through 2017. The Spaniard won there three times, in 2005, 2007 and 2012.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hamilton raced at Sepang in every season from his 2007 debut through the circuit\u2019s departure from the calendar. He won the 2014 Malaysian Grand Prix for Mercedes and finished second to Verstappen in the final edition three years later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Verstappen\u2019s record spans only three starts, but includes the result that closed Sepang\u2019s first spell on the calendar. He won the 2017 race for Red Bull, ahead of Hamilton and Daniel Ricciardo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pierre Gasly has a particularly unusual connection to this return. The 2017 Malaysian Grand Prix was his first Formula 1 race<\/strong>: Toro Rosso brought him in to replace Daniil Kvyat, and he finished 14th. He has not had another opportunity to race an F1 car at Sepang until now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Stroll also has just one start, from his rookie season with Williams in 2017. Ocon raced at Sepang twice: first with Manor in 2016 and then with Force India in 2017. P\u00e9rez and H\u00fclkenberg each have seven starts, although H\u00fclkenberg\u2019s are spread across 2010 and 2012\u20132017 because he did not race in F1 in 2011.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That experience may help the returning drivers recognise the circuit\u2019s braking points and changes in grip. It will not give them a direct setup advantage from nine-year-old data. Formula 1 now uses substantially different cars, power units and tyres, so every team must establish how its 2026 package behaves at Sepang during Friday practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The drivers without a Formula 1 Grand Prix start at Sepang are George Russell, Kimi Antonelli, Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, Isack Hadjar, Alex Albon, Gabriel Bortoleto, Liam Lawson, Arvid Lindblad, Oliver Bearman and Franco Colapinto<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They represent 54.5% of the 22-driver field<\/strong>. Several have been established in F1 for years, but entered the championship only after Sepang held its last race. Russell and Norris, for example, made their F1 race debuts in 2019; Leclerc arrived in 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The distinction is specifically about F1 race starts<\/strong>. A driver could have visited or driven at Sepang in another setting and still appear on this list. What none of the 12 has done is start a Formula 1 Grand Prix there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For the experienced ten and the newcomers alike, the first comparison comes on Friday. FP1 starts at 12:30 local time on 2 October<\/strong>, followed by FP2 at 16:00. Qualifying is on Saturday, and Sunday\u2019s race is scheduled for 56 laps. The full Sepang timetable<\/a> includes start times for the UK, US, India and Australia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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. <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nWhich current F1 drivers have raced at Sepang?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Driver<\/th> F1 starts at Sepang<\/th> Seasons<\/th><\/tr><\/thead> Fernando Alonso<\/td> 16<\/strong><\/td> 2001; 2003\u20132017<\/td><\/tr> Lewis Hamilton<\/td> 11<\/strong><\/td> 2007\u20132017<\/td><\/tr> Sergio P\u00e9rez<\/td> 7<\/strong><\/td> 2011\u20132017<\/td><\/tr> Nico H\u00fclkenberg<\/td> 7<\/strong><\/td> 2010; 2012\u20132017<\/td><\/tr> Valtteri Bottas<\/td> 5<\/strong><\/td> 2013\u20132017<\/td><\/tr> Max Verstappen<\/td> 3<\/strong><\/td> 2015\u20132017<\/td><\/tr> Carlos Sainz<\/td> 3<\/strong><\/td> 2015\u20132017<\/td><\/tr> Esteban Ocon<\/td> 2<\/strong><\/td> 2016\u20132017<\/td><\/tr> Lance Stroll<\/td> 1<\/strong><\/td> 2017<\/td><\/tr> Pierre Gasly<\/td> 1<\/strong><\/td> 2017<\/td><\/tr> Total<\/strong><\/td> 56<\/strong><\/td> <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Gasly\u2019s only Sepang start was his F1 debut<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Which 12 drivers have never raced there in F1?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
F1 today: FAQ<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What time is F1 qualifying at Sepang?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Did Lewis Hamilton receive a grid penalty for the Bortoleto incident?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n