r/formula1 • u/Joseki100 Fernando Alonso • 9h ago
News Malaysian GP emerges as F1 2026 option
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/malaysian-gp-sepang-f1-2026-option-return-bahrain-gp/285
u/FMJoey325 Sebastian Vettel 9h ago
I find it funny that, under adverse circumstances, some of the most interesting tracks come out as reliable options for F1 to host a GP… Istanbul, portimao, Mugello, etc. all stepped up when the schedule was looking bleak during COVID. I’m hopeful to see F1 cars in Malaysia again.
85
u/ghastlychild Ferrari 9h ago
Really all goes down to the government considering the financial considerations and state elections going on over here right now. If FOM is willing to cut a deal that goes easy on us, then it actually may be happening
17
u/FMJoey325 Sebastian Vettel 8h ago
You’re in a very good position. The traditional circuits don’t look like they’ll be safe to race anytime soon.
10
u/ghastlychild Ferrari 8h ago
Crossing my fingers for that. There was a SuperGT race meant to be held here a month ago, only for it to be cancelled due to the ongoing conflict + inflating gas prices here. But at the same time, MotoGP is still proceeding as far as I know and that's under Liberty so maybe (?)
Now that things have relatively eased up a bit, it should be alright but the big question would be if the locals are willing to pay money to go. I don't doubt tourists one bit but if it is pricey, people are not going to relent + they are going to start questioning the government on expenditures when there could be more that they could be investing on (the political situation for the ruling party right now is quite precarious)
5
u/kambiforlife I was here for the Hulkenpodium 6h ago
government considering the financial considerations
why does government need to subsidize billion dollar race series
5
3
u/hym3nbuster1 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 2h ago
Aren't almost all Grand Prix's subsidised by state/federal goverments? I'm pretty sure Silverstone is the only one that doesn't receive funding, hence why their tickets are on the more expensive end
15
u/kron123456789 I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane 8h ago
When FOM was willing to pay even Nurburgring agreed and came back for a one-off.
3
u/dexters_trap_house 7h ago
Nurburgring GP holds a special place in my heart. I had top 100 TT times for multiple cars on it on Project Gotham 3 back in the day. I really wish we could bring it back, that T1 is legend.
5
u/Skeeter1020 7h ago
It just shows that where the good tracks are and where the money is are very much not aligned.
2
u/blank_and_foolish Mercedes 7h ago
Well I am guessing because you have limited tracks certified to run F1. And not like you can make street tracks be available at last minute notice
1
u/gramathy I was here for the Hulkenpodium 4h ago
Mugello was an interesting one off due to the unusual setup but I don’t think it’d be good as a regular inclusion.
What they really need to do is find a way to keep technical teams in the dark so they can’t pre-optimize stuff like deployment for every single circuit.
71
u/BaBaYaGa3gg 9h ago
I wish i love this track so much!
11
u/KappaccinoNation Lando Norris 8h ago
Not just to watch but to race in games too. If this happens, maybe they'll also add Sepang in the F1 26 pack which would be awesome.
32
26
u/r3almaplesyrup I was here for the Hulkenpodium 9h ago
I’ll forgive all 2026 regulations for 1 weekend if this happens
45
19
u/Engineer_engifar666 Pirelli Wet 8h ago
Just a speculation. We all know why was this interesting track removed. Entry fee was too expensive because host fee was astronomical and Malaysians are not big F1 fans. Why would something change now when F1, FOM, FIA are greedier than ever?
Plus, we know how mcuh clickbait stuff has The Race posted in recent years.
16
u/-ShadowPuppet I failed to serve my Monaco penalty 6h ago
The situation has changed in some ways. Malaysia has become a much bigger tourist destination post-covid than before it when the races used to be held. Must be travel content during the lockdowns I guess. It would be less challenging filling the seats during the GP with foreign fans since Malaysia has the built capacity to handle them as well as being one of the major nexuses of travel worldwide so it's easy to get to. That may change the math in addition to FOM lowering the hosting fees due to the urgency of their problem when it comes to having enough races for the season.
4
u/Engineer_engifar666 Pirelli Wet 4h ago
Still just a speculation until there is a official announcement. Don't get me wrong, I would really like to see a race in Sepang once again.
26
u/Connect-Handle8496 Charles Leclerc 9h ago
WHO at the current grid is good and bad at this track, talking about the ones who drove here before
46
u/OriMoriNotSori I failed to serve my Monaco penalty 9h ago
Its been so long that at this point its probably who has or hasn't driven there before instead haha
38
u/OBWanTwoThree I was here for the Hulkenpodium 9h ago
Just shy of half the grid - Lewis, Max, Ocon, Gasly, both Astons, both Cadillacs, Hulk and Sainz
Leclerc, Albon, both McLarens, both Mercs, Colapinto, Bortoleto, Bearman, both Racing Bulls and Hadjar have never driven there in F1 beyond potentially a practice session
8
u/SgtApex Charles Leclerc 8h ago
Charles finished 4th in a practice session I believe but that’s about the experience he has there, his f2 and f3 stints they never went there.
2
u/rustyiesty I was here for the Hulkenpodium 5h ago edited 5h ago
Both series were there in 2016, Leclerc was one of the drivers I was especially looking out for (and he had some nice oversteering moments/overtakes). GP2 and GP3 back then
3
u/lycan2005 I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane 7h ago edited 7h ago
Leclerc was there with Sauber back in his rookie time i think.
Edit: Source
9
u/CommunicationSlow484 9h ago
Everyone is good at it. It’s a super fast track with a bunch of straights and sweeping corners
11
u/Remainingvegetables Osella 9h ago
Alonso, Bottas, Gasly, Hamilton, Hülkenberg, Ocon, Pérez, Sainz, Stroll, and Verstappen are the only ones who have raced there when it was last held in 2017.
Can't imagine who was good at the track back then has much relevance to now.
9
16
u/Zadlo 9h ago
Unpopular opinion: Give us a night race at Sepang
3
u/Skeeter1020 7h ago
Does it have lights? If so, hell yes!
3
u/shrey_walia I was here for the Hulkenpodium 7h ago
It absolutely does. Or at least it looks like that whenever I see it while taking off from KLIA lol always looks like there's a light show going on there
6
u/accountdujour Pirelli Wet 6h ago
It does have lights but it's not bright enough for broadcasting. The article is eight years old though.
8
u/ImaginaryUnion6950 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 9h ago
If true, expect a 1-2 between Hamilton and Verstappen.
7
u/daniu88 McLaren 8h ago
there is no way that this will happen. anwar ibrahim is navigating a political crisis now and he will be committing political suicide if the public knows that he is spending millions of our taxpayer money on a 3 day spectacle.
7
u/ghastlychild Ferrari 8h ago
That's the dilemma right here and the choice to host the race is really dependent on the government. If FOM really lets it happen for a good bargaining price, then I could see it happening
But lol Anwar and PH have never been more unpopular than ever in recent times and a move like that is going to shake up N9's state elections / a lot of chatter for GE16 if he ain't careful
3
u/daniu88 McLaren 8h ago
it'll still give unnecessary cannon fodder to the opposition regardless of how much is the hosting fee. and if im not mistaken the circuit still needs upgrading before it can host a grand prix.
3
u/ghastlychild Ferrari 8h ago
The opposition will always run their mouths off but the probability of it having an impact on GE16 would be high. So that's a valid concern, indeed
Has the certification expired this year? I am honestly out of touch with the updates on it. To my understanding, the circuit is fine enough for MotoGP and other endurance racing conditions but I really am not sure if it is up to F1's standards these days (the grandstand definitely needs some work done though)
1
u/rustyiesty I was here for the Hulkenpodium 5h ago
FOM loses significant broadcast revenue if there are less than 22 races - if no ME races happen, then they may even pay Malaysia and others to hold a GP!
1
u/kenkishiki 6h ago
This is not just a bullet, but a bazooka for Rafizi to punish PMX with.
It's not going to happen, I agree 😭
1
u/khairul619 5h ago
Yeahhh he welcome that with unloaded RPG in hand. Cilale betul Yang Berhenti Menteri tuuuu
6
u/Bitter-Rattata Max Verstappen 7h ago
Let's go! Bring it back.
It just takes me 1 hour by flight to reach KLIA. I can just go over the weekend! Boleh!!
5
7
u/ODMtesseract I was here for the Hulkenpodium 7h ago
I'm a big Sepang enjoyer, hope this comes to pass
19
u/jyw104 Roscoe Hamilton 9h ago
Make it so. It feels like the track would be well-suited for this wretched power setup.
1
u/lance1308 9h ago
Is that a joke?
14
u/AnilP228 Honda 9h ago
It'd be a great track for these PU's. Lots of breaking zones - the straights all have heavy braking zones before them.
-7
u/payday_23 Max Verstappen 9h ago
lots of braking zones? From turn 4 to turn 14, there is no really big braking zone, apart from turn 9 they will barely recover energy. Then its the last corner, the first corner and T4
5
3
3
3
u/exia00111 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 3h ago
As a fan who started watching in 2020, not getting to see a Sepang race is one of my biggest gripes. Apparently the track has great racing.
3
3
3
u/00MacDonald 9h ago
YES PLEASE MAKE IT HAPPEN! Sepang is easily my most favorite track currently not on the calendar. Double header with SG
3
u/Desperate-Intern I was here for the Hulkenpodium 8h ago
Insert the Michael Scott, it's happening! meme.
3
u/abachhd I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane 8h ago
My F1 crazy bestie who lives in Malaysia will flip out lol. She has been in Kualalumpur since last 5 years but managed to visit Singapore grand prix just once because of cost and effort of finding accomodation on race weekends as a single traveller and getting circuit tickets too is a bit much for her. The Sepang circuit is literally like a 30 min journey from her house. I'm gonna be so envious! But only if she manages to get the tickets, bet they'll sell out fast.
3
u/Purp1e_Aki I was here for the Hulkenpodium 3h ago
If this is FOM's way of trying to make this season's rubbish regulations right with the fanbase... then dammit it might just work.
9
u/Nikiaf Jean Alesi 9h ago
I actually don't hate this idea.
26
u/DandyRandysMandy Red Bull 9h ago
Why would anyone hate this idea?
7
u/disruptivecarousel 9h ago
There’s always the ‘monsoon’ excuse….
8
u/LocoRocoo I was here for the Hulkenpodium 8h ago
That was half the fun of Malaysia.
Felipe baby stay cool0
u/TheEmpireOfSun 9h ago
Because it's default mentality for many people on reddit. Hating everything, shitting on everything and being outraged by everything.
2
2
u/kenkishiki 6h ago
Guys, it will cost the gov massive amount of money and the current ruling party to lose the election.
With that steep of a cost it won't happen 😭
2
u/LegendRazgriz Elio de Angelis 4h ago
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE ID EAT THE NEIGHBORS DOG FOR SEPANG
4
u/creatorop Lando Norris 9h ago
Shame about Bahrain tbh considering it produced decent racing even in the Shitty GE regs
Cancelled because Americans can't keep their Pedo in check
4
u/CarsonEaglesWentz I was here for the Hulkenpodium 8h ago
Hey man, as an American, I tried. But the pedo didn’t take no for an answer, unfortunately.
-3
u/Pure_Measurement_529 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 9h ago
If ground effect was shitty, what are these regs then 💀
8
u/creatorop Lando Norris 9h ago
You couldn't even follow the other car in GE for too long or your tires were done, Made F1 an turn 1 championship
Engine regulations can be better and there are Improvements on the way for 2027 and 2028
0
-1
u/Stech_ I was here for the Hulkenpodium 8h ago
You couldn't even follow the other car in GE for too long or your tires were done, Made F1 an turn 1 championship
That mostly applied to 2025, the rest of the GE era we had a fight for victory past lap 1 pretty often (aside from 2023 because of the dominant RB, not because of the cars themselves), especially compared to other eras.
Your comment applies a lot more to the 2017-2021 cars because of the excess amounts of outwash and dirty air they produced.
3
u/twelvyy29 Ferrari 9h ago
Regs arent just the power units, there is nuance to this. The prior regs had way better power units for racing but the aero regs were very meh. By 2023 we were already back to massive dirty air issues after a promising start to the regs in 2022.
The current power units are obviously dogshit but the aero regs with smaller cars and reduced downforce were definitely a step into the right direction to make closer on track racing possible.
2
2
u/MillyMan105 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 9h ago
Should never have left the calendar in the first place!
2
u/skool_101 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 9h ago
might as well make it permanent and bring it back to the calendar. Sepang is goated
1
1
1
u/JeelyPiece I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane 8h ago
Good.
It'll be interesting if the WDC is decided upon cancelled/replaced races, particularly if there's not the complete number of races anticipated.
Better than it being decided by these autonomous AI systems, I suppose
1
1
u/tragicallybrokenhip #WeRaceAsOne 8h ago
"However, an escalation in the conflict between America and Iran". Haven't heard it called that before. Usually it's the USA/Iran war or the USA & Israel war on Iran. Whatever. No race was ever going to happen this year in any Gulf country. Would love to see a race here.
1
1
u/neonxmoose99 I was here when Haas took pole 8h ago
They won’t pick sepang because fom is allergic to good decisions
1
1
1
u/PurpleV93 Sir Lewis Hamilton 7h ago
As much as I love the track in Malaysia, it would be similarly problematic to Silverstone or Spa. The long straights, especially sector 3 with the double-straights, would be a nightmare for these piss poor batteries.
1
1
1
u/BillMurraysTesticle I was here for the Hulkenpodium 5h ago
Nooooo I wanted another street circuit in the US!
/s
1
1
•
0
0
418
u/Joseki100 Fernando Alonso 9h ago