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Bahrain GP in Malaysia 2026: Dates, schedule, weather, UK start time and how to watch or stream F1 race at Sepang live on Sky Sports | F1 News
After a nine-year absence, Formula 1 returns to the hugely popular Sepang International Circuit as Malaysia hosts the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Bahrain were unable to stage their race in April at their own Sakhir track owing to the conflict in the Middle East but a deal was struck for Malaysia to stage the event instead.
Malaysia last hosted a race in 2017, won by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, with the fast, flowing Sepang circuit considered one of the very best of the newer generation of tracks.
It stages the second leg of the season’s first flyaway triple header after George Russell got his title hopes back on track with victory by less than two tenths from Verstappen last time out in Baku.
Kimi Antonelli limited the damage with fifth after crashing in qualifying but saw his lead cut to 66 points with eight rounds remaining, while Lewis Hamilton is 103 points adrift and Lando Norris is 116 points back, but McLaren are expected to be strong at the high-speed Sepang International Circuit.
Malaysia is seven hours ahead of the UK but the scheduling of the key sessions at Sepang means convenient weekend breakfast-time viewing on Sky Sports F1 with Qualifying at 9am on Saturday and the Grand Prix at 8am on Sunday.
The F1 Drivers’ Championship ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia
Sepang International Circuit track layout
F1’s drivers are certainly excited about the sport’s return to Sepang – and no wonder.
The sweeping, aerodynamically demanding 3.44-mile layout was the first all-new track designed by F1’s now-resident architect Hermann Tilke and quickly made its mark when it staged its inaugural Grand Prix in 1999, with the facility as a whole changing the game for what Formula 1 venues needed to be like in future.
The 15-corner track quickly proved popular with drivers and fans for both the array of impressive medium and high-speed corner sequences, plus the now-common combination of long straights into wide, heavy braking zones.
The long curved run through Turn Three to the Turn Four right-hander, the fast left-right flicks of Turns Five and Six and the sweeping, technical corners of the final sector leading onto the half-mile back straight down to the final turn, a hairpin, all represent key aspects of the lap.
Bahrain GP weather in Sepang
Tropical Malaysia guarantees heat, humidity – and the threat of thunderstorms. Sunny one minute, the scene of a huge downpour the next, F1 teams will have to be sharp with their weather radars this weekend.
Will we finally get a wet qualifying or Grand Prix in 2026?
Rain has often affected F1 races in Malaysia since it joined the F1 calendar in 1999
Bahrain GP in Malaysia dates, UK start time and Sky Sports F1’s live schedule
Thursday October 1
7am: Drivers’ Press Conference
10am: Paddock Uncut
Friday October 2
5am: Bahrain GP Practice One (session starts at 5.30am)*
7.30am: Team Bosses’ Press Conference
8.45am: Bahrain GP Practice Two (session starts at 9am)*
10.15am: The F1 Show*
Saturday October 3
5.15am: Bahrain GP Practice Three (session starts at 5.30am)*
8am: Bahrain GP Qualifying build-up*
9am: BAHRAIN GP QUALIFYING*
Sunday October 4
6.30am: Grand Prix Sunday: Bahrain GP build-up*
8am: THE BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX*
10am: Chequered Flag: Bahrain GP reaction*
*also on Sky Sports Main Event
How to watch or stream the Bahrain Grand Prix in the UK and Ireland
Got Sky?
TV: Sky Customers can watch on Sky Sports F1 from first practice on Friday morning to the Bahrain Grand Prix itself on Sunday October 4 at 8am
App: Sky Customers can also watch on the Sky Sports app – with the option to go onboard with any driver!
Not got Sky?
Stream: Non-Sky Customers can stream the action with a NOW Day or a cancel-anytime Month pass
Live blog: Anyone on the move can follow live coverage of the race weekend through our dedicated F1 blog
FREE Highlights: Watch F1 highlights shortly after the chequered flag on the Sky Sports app
How to watch the Bahrain GP on mobile with the Sky Sports app
Sky Sports Subscribers can:
- Download or open the Sky Sports app
- Head to the ‘Live’ section at 6.30am for build-up on Sunday, ahead of lights out at 8am
- Tap on the Sky Sports F1 channel
- Sign in with your Sky iD (*you’ll only need to do this once)
*Sky iD help: How to find or create your Sky iD
What is NOW?
NOW is an instant streaming service offering access to all 12 Sky Sports channels, every Sky Sports+ stream, and much more.
It’s an app, so customers can sign up and stream instantly across over 60 devices. It offers contract-free membership options, so customers can cancel anytime!
You can choose between a Month or Day Membership. See the latest NOW membership prices.
More information about NOW can be found here.
Formula 1 heads to Malaysia for the first time since 2017 as it hosts the Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit – watch live coverage from Friday morning, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime
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Christian Horner is proving a distraction for Ferrari by “looking for a job”, team principal Frederic Vasseur says.
Horner, dismissed as Red Bull team principal in July 2025, used an interview with the Times this week to say that Ferrari are the only Formula 1 team he would work for without being given a shareholding, describing it as “the dream”, external.
Vasseur outlined his frustration with Horner following Saturday’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix – at which Charles Leclerc finished fourth and his Ferrari team-mate Lewis Hamilton was sixth.
He said: “We are not working in the perfect serenity.
“For me, first, but for everybody in the team, for the media, for 50% of the questions [to be] about this, it’s a bit of a frustrating situation.
“We are fighting for P3 [third place] in the championship, and at the end of the day, we are all speaking a lot about this, and even for the guys in the garage, to discuss about this, it’s the best discussion that we can have.
“But it is what it is, it’s not in my hands. Mr Horner is looking for a job – that everybody knows – everywhere. But what can I do? Just try to do my best to push the team, to rise them to be motivated, focus on what is better today.”
Vasseur was asked whether he was joking about Horner, and replied: “I was very serious.”
And asked whether he would consider working with Horner, he replied: “This you have to ask my assistant.”
That remark appears to be a reference to the circumstances surrounding Horner’s departure from Red Bull in July 2025.
Horner was accused of sexual harassment and coercive, controlling behaviour by a female employee. The allegation became public in February 2024 but the accusations were dismissed by Red Bull following two internal investigations.
That decision followed a tumultuous 18 months in the wake of the employee’s allegations, during which a number of senior team figures left – including chief technical officer Adrian Newey – and there was a slump in form.
Red Bull have never given a public explanation for Horner’s dismissal. The two parties agreed on a settlement said by sources to be worth 60m euros (£51.5m).
Ferrari entered this season hoping to be title contenders following the introduction of new chassis and engine rules in F1.
But while their car was acknowledged as the best in the corners as the season began, their engine has lacked performance compared to those of Mercedes and Red Bull.
This lack of power was exposed on the long straights of the Baku circuit, as Leclerc slipped back in the race after qualifying second.
Vasseur said on Saturday: “With the situation that we are in the engine, we are losing one position per lap, and then we lose the path of the race.
“Honestly we were surprised to be in the first row, because Baku is the most demanding in terms of engine, and was not expecting to do so. But we knew even starting from the first row that the opening laps, or in case of restarting safety car and so, it would be difficult. And it was.”
Asked whether he was still committed to his position at Ferrari, Vasseur said: “Motorsport is my life, it’s my business. I’m trying to do my best. I’m there to do my job. I have the best job in the world, heh. But, it is like it is. We have still seven races to go, and I will push until the last corner.”
Ferrari have not won a world championship since 2008, and have rarely had a fully competitive car since then.
Horner said in his interview: “Would I consider Ferrari? I mean, Ferrari is the biggest brand in Formula 1. It’s the dream. And arguably it’s the sleeping giant of Formula 1.”
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