Formula 1 Returns to Kuala Lumpur: Sepang Welcomes the Grid After Nine Years
27 July 2026 – Formula 1 is coming back to Malaysia. The Sepang International Circuit will host a round of the 2026 World Championship from 2 to 4 October, marking the first Malaysian Grand Prix since 2017. The race steps in for the cancelled Bahrain Grand Prix, following disruption to the Gulf leg of the calendar earlier this year, and will officially carry the name Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia even though it takes place entirely on Malaysian soil.
The announcement, confirmed by Formula 1 and the FIA on 26 July 2026, closes a nine-year gap since Max Verstappen took the chequered flag at Sepang in 2017. For a generation of Malaysian fans who grew up with the race on the calendar, and a newer generation introduced to the sport through its recent global surge in popularity, the return is a significant moment.
Sepang has long been regarded as one of Hermann Tilke’s finest circuit designs. Its 5.5km layout combines long straights with sweeping, technical corners that reward both bravery and precision, producing some of the most dramatic wheel-to-wheel racing the sport has seen. Add in Malaysia’s famously unpredictable tropical weather, where a clear morning can turn into a torrential downpour by afternoon, and Sepang has a reputation for delivering chaos as reliably as it delivers speed.
For the city itself, the return of F1 means an influx of fans, teams and media from across the world, all converging on Kuala Lumpur for a race weekend nine years in the making. Grandstands are filling, hotels along the route to Sepang are preparing for race-week traffic, and the buzz around the city is unmistakable.
Race Week at EQ
EQ is marking the occasion with the Pole Position Stay, a race-week offer designed for fans who want their base in the city to be as considered as their seat at the circuit. The package includes private return transfers between EQ and Sepang International Circuit on practice, qualifying and race days, removing the guesswork from getting to and from the track. Guests also enjoy daily breakfast for two at Nipah, complimentary access to Sky51, one of Asia’s top five rooftop bars, daily replenishment of in-room snacks and soft drinks, and complimentary parking for one vehicle throughout the stay.
Recognised as Malaysia’s only hotel among the World’s 100 Best Hotels at the Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards 2026, EQ offers a fitting base for race week, positioned in the heart of the city with the comforts to match. The offer runs on a minimum two-night stay, with bookings open now for stays between 1 and 7 October 2026.
