Formula 1 returns to Sepang this weekend for the Bahrain GP in Malaysia, the stand-in venue for round 16 of the 2026 season. The original Bahrain race was cancelled after the Middle Eastern conflict made it impossible to hold the event, so the sport has turned to its old Malaysian home instead.
It means a rare trip back to a track F1 hasn’t used since 2017, when Sepang dropped off the calendar for lack of funding. For George Russell, it’s a chance to extend the form that carried him to victory in Baku. For Red Bull, it’s another shot at a first win of the year that keeps slipping away.
Head-to-Head (H2H) Historical Analysis
Sepang International Circuit held a permanent place on the calendar from 1999 to 2017, hosting a grand prix every single year before organisers pulled the plug because of a lack of funding. Nine years on, it’s back, hosting the Bahrain GP in Malaysia rather than the race it used to run under its own name.
| Period | Sepang’s F1 Status |
|---|---|
| 1999-2017 | Continuous calendar fixture |
| 2017 | Dropped from the calendar due to a lack of funding |
| 2026 | Returns as host of round 16, in place of Bahrain |
Lewis Hamilton, who raced at Sepang many times during its original run, made the case for its return while speaking in Baku. “The track is awesome… It’s a track that does give good racing and when it comes to deciding what tracks to go through in the year, that should be a part of the decision-making.” His comments were reported by Motorsport.com race report and analysis. F1 has moved on a lot since Sepang last featured, technologically speaking, and plenty of the know-how from that era has since filtered into technologies that transfer to road vehicles.
Recent Form & Team Dynamics
George Russell goes into the Bahrain GP in Malaysia on the back of a third win of the season, converting pole position into victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. It’s a result that’s shifted the mood around him. “If the season had started today, or since the summer break, I feel very much I would have been able to fight,” he said, reflecting on a stretch of races where Mercedes has looked like the quickest package on Sundays.
Russell isn’t getting carried away about the championship picture either. Asked about his gap to Kimi Antonelli, he kept things simple: “I’ve got this big deficit… It can change quickly. So, I’m not chasing that. I’m chasing to win every race and what will be, will be.” It’s a pragmatic line from a driver who knows one bad weekend for his rival can change everything.
Antonelli’s Baku weekend went the other way at first. A crash in Q1 wrecked his qualifying and left him to fight through the field on Sunday, but he still salvaged fifth place, a result that hints at the pace still in the car. “I was always a step behind. Next weekend, I will be back at my level,” he said afterwards, setting himself a clear target for Sepang.
Red Bull’s season remains a puzzle. The team has finished on the podium in five of the last six grands prix, yet the RB22 still hasn’t won a race in 2026. Max Verstappen’s drive in Baku captured both the frustration and the promise: starting eighth on the grid, he fought through to finish second behind Russell at the flag. It’s the same story that’s defined Red Bull’s year: strong race pace undone by a Saturday that leaves too much to do.
Crucial Player Battles
Inside the Mercedes garage, the contest between Russell and Antonelli is the one worth watching. Russell has the win in Baku and the manner of it, pole to flag, while Antonelli has reminded everyone of his raw speed by recovering to fifth from the back of the field. That rivalry matters most of all. Sepang’s long, sweeping corners will test both drivers’ feel for the car. These are exactly the conditions where small errors get punished. Whichever of them adapts quicker to a circuit F1 hasn’t used in almost a decade could set the tone for the rest of the season.
On the other side of the grid, Verstappen’s battle is with Russell and with Red Bull’s own car rather than any single rival. The RB22 has had the pace for a string of podiums, and Verstappen’s march from eighth to second in Baku proved it can still fight at the front even from a bad grid slot. What it hasn’t delivered is a win. Sepang’s mix of high-speed sections and tighter infield corners will put the active aerodynamic regulations under scrutiny again, and Red Bull’s balance through fast corners has been the one constant strength all year.
Early Match Prediction & Scoreline Rationale
Our pick is Russell to take pole and win again, with Verstappen second and Antonelli completing the podium in third. Sunday feels like Russell’s race to lose.
Two things point that way. First, there’s Mercedes’ current form. Russell’s win in Baku wasn’t a one-off; the car has suited the recent tracks and should translate well to Sepang’s longer corners. Second, Red Bull’s podium streak shows the RB22 is quick enough to be there at the flag. Verstappen starting from the front, rather than clawing back through traffic as he did in Baku, would make the difference between another second place and a first win of the year.
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