Sepang sets record with nearly 100,000 tickets sold as Malaysia gears up for Bahrain Grand Prix

A Scuderia Ferrari F1 car is seen at the Sepang International Circuit. — Bernama pic

First Published: Thursday, 01 Oct 2026 9:29 AM MYT

SEPANG, Oct 1 — Sepang International Circuit (SIC) is fully prepared ahead of the Formula 1 (F1) Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix (GP) in Malaysia this weekend, with nearly 100,000 tickets sold, thus setting a record for the highest ticket sales in the history of races held at the circuit.

SIC chief executive officer Azhan Shafriman Hanif said about 3,000 tickets still remained, comprising grandstand and hillstand seats, which could still be purchased online via bahraingp.com.

“This is a figure we have never seen before in terms of ticket sales,” he told a media conference here yesterday.

Commenting on preparations at the circuit, he said that readiness has reached 100 per cent, with almost all logistics cargo having arrived ahead of the paddock activation today.

He described the achievement as very commendable, given that SIC only had less than two months to prepare, compared with the usual six to seven months.

“It has been a roller coaster moment for all of us. We have certainly faced various challenges over the past two months.

“All this while, we have been homologated as an F1 Grade 1 circuit. To elevate it to the level of an F1 event, it takes a lot of effort from all parties, and what we have accomplished in these two months is, to me, truly astounding,” he said.

Meanwhile, Azhan Shafriman said SIC is working with the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) and the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) to monitor air quality levels ahead of the race.

He said cloud seeding operations had also been carried out in areas surrounding SIC to induce rainfall over the next two days, thus helping to clear the air in Sepang.

“We have made various preparations aimed at achieving ideal conditions. But if conditions are not ideal, we have to assess the situation at that time.

“In terms of haze, we have a threshold value (API level) for cancelling or postponing the race. With cloud seeding, we hope the resulting rain will help reduce the haze and that the API (Air Pollutant Index) level will not be as high as expected,” he said.

Malaysia will host the Gulf Air Bahrain GP from Friday to Sunday (Oct 2-4) following an agreement signed between Formula 1, the International Automobile Federation (FIA) and governments of Malaysia and Bahrain.

The agreement allows the Bahrain GP to remain on the 2026 F1 calendar after the race was cancelled earlier this season due to geopolitical tensions in West Asia.

Malaysia previously hosted the Malaysian GP at Sepang from 1999 to 2017 before the race was dropped from the F1 calendar. — Bernama