Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain GP In Malaysia Is Over, Here’s Everything That Happened

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After nine whole years of Formula One (F1) races being absent in Maaysia, the whole country lit up when the premier motorsport organiser announced it will be hosting the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix at the iconic Sepang International Circuit (SIC) from 2 to 4 October 2026.

Much has changed since the track was officially opened to the public on 9 March, 1999. But, the excitement Malaysians feel when an F1 race is coming was all the same in 2026, if not more.

From the promotional campaigns and advertisements leading up to the main event last weekend, to videos and photos shared by the public during and after the race, here is everything that happened in Malaysia when the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2026 landed.

The ticket battle and special Madani tickets

When the tickets were released on 13 August, F1 fans naturally flooded the ticketing websites to snag their entry passes.

The three-day passes that cost up to over RM2,000 were reportedly selling out in a short period soon after they became available.

Rumours about cheaper single-day ticket options swirled around for a moment but in the end, it didn’t happen.

Special Madani tickets were also made available as announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. These tickets were exclusively for MyKad holders to purchase, and the price started from RM200 per ticket.

As expected, the Madani F1 tickets sold out within a short period of time.

READ MORE: MyKad Holders Can Get Bahrain GP Tickets From RM200, But Several Categories Already Sold Out

READ MORE: Bahrain GP Malaysia 2026: Three-Day Passes Selling Fast, Leaving Fans Anxious

F1 drivers on holiday leading up to race weekend

Nobody expected what the F1 teams and drivers would be doing when they arrived in Malaysia.

Most probably thought they would just head to their hotel and head out for walks around Kuala Lumpur.

However, several videos and photos on social media posted by the drivers themselves showed that they had entire holiday itineraries while they were here.

Mercedes-AMG Petronas driver Kimi Antonelli was spotted zooming down waterslides at SplashMania Waterpark in Bandar Gamuda Cove, Selangor, just a week before the race. Fans who recognised him did not miss a chance to take selfies with the 20-year-old F1 star.

One Malaysian was lucky enough to have spotted Alpine team’s driver Pierre Gasly on the way to baggage claim at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), and scored a selfie with him.

Meanwhile, Six F1 drivers — George Russell, Carlos Sainz, Alex Albon, Oliver Bearman, Gabriel Bortoleto and Oscar Piastri — were on Langkawi island for a “boys’ holiday training camp” where they were seen racing go-karts, hiking to waterfalls, and even stopping by a kedai runcit (sundry shop) to buy water and snacks while they were out cycling.

READ MORE: F1 Teams And Drivers Have Landed In Malaysia, Revving Up Social Media

F1 teams were promoting Malaysia better than Malaysia

The official social media pages of F1 teams were sharing posts showcasing Malaysia’s landmarks, cityscapes, and natural attractions prior to the race.

Malaysians were so impressed by the beautiful photography shared by Aston Martin, Haas F1 Team, Mercedes-AMG Petronas and McLaren, they thought the teams did a better job of promoting Malaysian tourism better than Tourism Malaysia.

READ MORE: F1 Teams Are Promoting Malaysia Better Than Malaysia, According To Malaysians

Crazy long queues just getting to SIC

Thousands of people flocked to SIC on the race weekend, and videos as well as photos of the long queues starting from shuttle pickup points at Mitsui Premium Outlet and KLIA to the seemingly never-ending lines at the Sepang circuit gates flooded social media.

The lines were fairly civil and organised at the shuttle bus pickup points, but videos of the queue at the SIC gates showed that order slowly descended into chaos as people began getting impatient and were crowding the track’s entrance instead.

READ MORE: Malaysians Test Their Fortitude As Queues To Get Into Sepang Begin

It started raining, the race was delayed, and Verstappen defends his Sepang crown

The Sepang F1 circuit has always been a challenging track and not only because of its design. Malaysia’s tropical climate makes rainy weather rather unpredictable at times and a wet race track provides an extra layer of challenge for the drivers.

On the main race day (4 October) rain began pouring just before the 3pm flag-off and the race was delayed until about 4pm due to unfavorable track weather conditions.

Hillside spectators also had to open their umbrellas and weather the rain while sitting on grass.

Eventually, the race resumed and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen clinched first place.

Coming in second behind him was Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli, followed by Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton.

The last F1 Malaysian Grand Prix at SIC was held in 2017, which Verstappen also came in first place. He essentially defended his title as Sepang’s winner at this year’s Bahrain Grand Prix.

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Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain GP In Malaysia Is Over, Here’s Everything That Happened
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