Why is the Bahrain Grand Prix taking place in Malaysia today?

However, there is one notable difference to normal - the race is not actually being held in Bahrain, but rather in Malaysia.

It follows on from the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku last week, where Mercedes’ George Russell claimed victory and Red Bull duo Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar completed the podium.

Before that, young Italian Kimi Antonelli continued to impress with a win in Spain - his eighth race victory of the season - and he comfortably leads the F1 Drivers’ Standings on 302 points with only eight races left to go this term.

The 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix is taking place at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia

AFP/Getty

Why is the Bahrain Grand Prix taking place in Malaysia?

Bahrain wanted their race to go ahead regardless, and Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa managed to strike an agreement to host the event in Malaysia.

The Bahraini theme will be kept for the event this weekend, while the trophy will be the usual Bahrain Grand Prix trophy and rosewater, which replaces the champagne that is often sprayed by the top-three finishers on the podium after the race, which aligns with the Middle East’s custom of not consuming alcohol.

The event will take place at the Sepang track, as F1 wanted a location that could seamlessly slot in between the Azerbaijan and Singapore Grands Prix.