F1 fever grips Sepang as crowds surge ahead of Bahrain GP

SEPANG: Formula 1 fever gripped Sepang this morning as fans heading to the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) faced long queues and heavy traffic hours before the first free practice session of the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix.

With Free Practice 1 (FP1) scheduled for 12.30pm, large crowds began arriving at the circuit early, with lengthy queues reported at entry points.

Some spectators were also seen attempting to move ahead of others waiting in line.

A Threads user, @chlqev_, called out spectators for cutting queues, saying some had been waiting since 6am.

"Please respect the queue and refrain from cutting in line. If you are unable to queue properly, please do not come. This is really disappointing," she said in a post.

Another Threads user, @zaidi.parman, raised concerns about the crowds, saying the situation could lead to a stampede at Sepang.

Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), in a statement yesterday, advised visitors not to drive to KLIA with the intention of parking there before travelling to SIC, and to plan alternative travel arrangements.

The situation at KLIA Transit Putrajaya was highlighted on Threads by @lvmrpsa, sharing photographs of passengers queuing at the station.

"The situation near KLIA Transit Putrajaya is very crowded. Be careful if you are heading to the F1 today," the user said in his post.

"KLIA2 has no traffic. I'm heading to the F1 in Sepang using public transport, and everything is running smoothly," another Threads user @raphael.sli said.

The high turnout comes amid a busy weekend in the Klang Valley, with the F1 event coinciding with Le Tour de Langkawi and the KL Marathon.

Federal Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department director Datuk Seri Muhammad Hasbullah Ali said yesterday that 856 traffic police personnel had been deployed across the region, including 367 officers around Sepang.

Police and airport authorities are also monitoring traffic, with staged road closures and free shuttle buses operating from airport hubs to manage the expected congestion.

In July, Formula 1 confirmed Malaysia as the host of the Gulf Air Bahrain GP from Oct 2 to 4, following an agreement between Formula 1, the International Automobile Federation (FIA), and the governments of Malaysia and Bahrain.

The agreement kept the Bahrain GP on the 2026 F1 calendar after the race was cancelled earlier this season due to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

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