Bahrain F1 Grand Prix: Fans frustrated by hours-long waits for shuttle buses

KUALA LUMPUR: Formula 1 (F1) fans have expressed frustration over the management of free shuttle bus services at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC), with some claiming they had to wait for hours to board buses after leaving the venue yesterday.

One of them, who attended the first day of the F1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2026 yesterday, claimed he had waited four hours before managing to board a shuttle bus.

In a Threads post, a user identified as @dan_anyeal claimed he had queued for public transport about 5pm but only managed to board a bus four hours later.

"I started queuing about 5pm, but only managed to board a bus about 9pm. Four hours.

"I am really disappointed with the transport management today. If there are no improvements, things could get even worse on Saturday and Sunday," he said in his social media post last night.

Several photos shared in the post showed scores of F1 visitors stranded by the roadside while waiting for shuttle buses to take them home, with the situation becoming tense amid claims of an altercation.

It was previously reported that Rapid KL would provide 95 buses for a dedicated shuttle service operating between designated locations and SIC during the event, which runs from yesterday until tomorrow.

The dedicated shuttle service to SIC is provided from the Level 1 Bus Hub at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 2, the Mitsui KLIA Bus Hub and De-Village, Persiaran Millenia 2, Bandar Baru Enstek, Negri Sembilan.

Meanwhile, the user also urged the management to take action before the situation worsened.

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"We came here for F1, not to spend almost half the evening waiting for buses.

"Is this how you manage transport for more than 100,000 F1 fans who have been waiting so long for this moment?" he said.

Another Threads user, @ryanmahowlett, claimed he left the Sepang area about 5.45pm but only managed to board a bus about 9pm.

"Leaving Sepang today was one of the craziest things I've ever experienced.

"People were fighting, throwing things at the buses, shouting and screaming," the user said.

He added that it was among the worst-managed situations he had ever seen.

"Without a doubt, one of the most badly organised things I've ever seen.

"When we exited Sepang, there were absolutely no signs or information. It was outrageous.

"I hope everyone was safe and able to get home safely in the end," he said.