Malaysia considers Sepang F1 race amid Middle East conflict

Formula 1 is poised for a significant calendar reshuffle as the ongoing conflict in the Middle East forces the sport to seek alternative venues, with Malaysia's Sepang International Circuit emerging as a leading candidate for a shock return. Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has stated an announcement regarding Formula 1 will be made on Sunday, July 26, following the Hungarian Grand Prix.

The sport's 2026 schedule was reduced from 24 to 22 races earlier this year after the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix, originally scheduled for April, were cancelled due to regional instability. Efforts to reinstate the Bahrain Grand Prix on October 4, creating a triple-header with races in Azerbaijan and Singapore, have been complicated by a renewed escalation in hostilities, making a Middle Eastern return in October increasingly unlikely.

In response, Malaysian authorities have entered active discussions about hosting a replacement event. The country's Youth and Sports Minister, Dr. Mohammed Taufiq Johari, confirmed in a statement on Friday, July 24, that the government had received preliminary information and was assessing the proposal to host a race at Sepang. The...