Malaysia may not be done with Formula One after all.
After hosting the 2026 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the government has started discussions on possibly bringing Formula One back to Malaysia on a permanent basis.
However, before anyone starts planning a yearly Singapore to Sepang road trip with hotel prices that suddenly look like they were calculated by F1 engineers, Anwar also made clear that the matter is still at an early stage.
Talks Have Started, But No Decision Yet
Speaking after the race at Sepang on Sunday, 4 October, Anwar said discussions had begun with Formula One president and chief executive Stefano Domenicali.
According to Bernama, Anwar said the door for talks had been opened, but that it was still too early to say whether Malaysia would return as a regular Formula One host.
He added that any decision would need careful evaluation, including whether hosting the race would benefit the country and what the cost implications would be.
In a Facebook post cited by Bernama, Anwar said he had met Domenicali before the race and discussed the prospect of returning the Malaysian Grand Prix to the Formula One calendar on a permanent basis.
But even if Malaysia wants the race back, it is not as simple as putting “Sepang” into the calendar and calling it a day. Anwar said the process would take time because the Formula One calendar is already packed and existing host-country contracts would have to be considered.
He said the matter would also be brought to Cabinet to examine the appropriate direction, taking into account Malaysia’s capability and the benefits to the economy and the people.
Why F1 Was Back in Sepang This Year
The 2026 race at Sepang was not a normal Malaysian Grand Prix.
Formula One had earlier confirmed that Malaysia would host the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix from 2 to 4 October 2026, under an agreement involving Formula One, the FIA, Bahrain and Malaysia.
The race was relocated to Sepang to preserve the Bahrain Grand Prix on the 2026 calendar after the original Bahrain race was affected by geopolitical tensions in West Asia.
That made the 2026 race Formula One’s first return to Sepang since 2017.
Malaysia previously hosted the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang from 1999 to 2017, before the race was dropped from the F1 calendar due to cost factors.
Sepang Still Has the Experience
Motorsports Associations of Malaysia president Mokhzani Mahathir also said Sepang International Circuit still has the experience and capability to host Formula One again.
However, he said any permanent return would ultimately depend on the Malaysian government, because the economic impact and financial requirements would have to be assessed.
Mokhzani said the benefits of F1 would not be limited to the circuit, as visitors would also stay in Kuala Lumpur and travel elsewhere in Malaysia.
He suggested that a five-year arrangement, structured as three years plus a two-year extension, would be ideal because it would give organisers, fans and Formula One management more certainty.
According to Bernama, Mokhzani said he was told that 105,000 tickets had been sold for this year’s race, and he attributed the strong turnout to fans making up for Formula One’s absence from Malaysia since 2017.
Verstappen Won the Rain-Hit Race
The race itself was eventful enough to remind everyone why Sepang has always had a reputation for unpredictable weather.
Max Verstappen won the rain-hit Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia after the start was delayed by more than 90 minutes due to difficult conditions at the circuit.
Kimi Antonelli finished second for Mercedes, while Lewis Hamilton, now racing for Ferrari, completed the podium in third.
Reuters reported that Verstappen had also been the last driver to win a Formula One race at Sepang in 2017, before the circuit was taken off the calendar.
So for now, Malaysia’s Formula One comeback remains a one-off race with a possible bigger future.
The talks are real, but the key point is that no permanent return has been confirmed yet.
