F1 could return to Sepang for 2026 stand-in race

The Malaysian Grand Prix is in the mix to make a surprise return to the Formula 1 calendar later this season, as championship bosses consider alternatives if its Middle Eastern races cannot go ahead because of war in the region.

Only a few weeks ago it had appeared that Bahrain, which was called off earlier this year, was close to getting a green light for an October 4 slot between races in Baku and Singapore.

However, an escalation in the conflict between America and Iran has seen the chances of a reprieve fall away.

The ongoing uncertainty about how the situation in the Middle East will pan out, especially in light of missile strikes out of Iran, means committing to a Bahrain race now looks extremely unlikely.

A decision on Bahrain's fate is expected imminently and could be fast-tracked by what is expected to be a decision this weekend by the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council about its World Endurance Championship races in the Middle East.

Earlier this year, when the Iran war broke out, the FIA postponed WEC’s Qatar race until October 24 - with its season finale due to take place in Bahrain on November 7.

This weekend’s decision by the WMSC on those races, which will be primarily made on safety grounds, is set to open the door for F1 to follow suit in terms of it either cancelling or committing to its Middle Eastern races.

Although it is anticipated that any final call on the grands prix in Qatar and Abu Dhabi will be delayed for as long as possible, so could wait for several weeks, it is thought that F1 wants to commit to a Bahrain decision before the summer shutdown.

Even if it is decided that Bahrain cannot happen, it has emerged that there is some eagerness for F1 to use that October weekend between Baku and Singapore to host a race.

The desire to do this has increased because there is no certainty that the final events in Qatar and Abu Dhabi will take place, which then poses the risk of F1 getting cut back from its current 22 scheduled race weekends.

Potential locations for a race to fill that gap are limited, though, because of the logistical problems of finding somewhere suitable that works in terms of transporting freight in and out.

A return to Europe, for example, would not be possible. Turkey could be an option - as it is not too far from Baku.

Sources have revealed, however, that Malaysia’s Sepang circuit is one of the leading contenders – as it is geographically near Singapore and, because it is right by an airport, would be capable of pulling off a quick turnaround event.

Malaysia hosted F1 races at Sepang from 1999 to 2017. Despite the track being well-liked by drivers and teams, it fell off the calendar because it could not justify the huge race hosting fees demanded at the time. It remains in regular use by MotoGP and other international series.

While F1 is set to wait a bit before deciding on the fate of the Qatar and Abu Dhabi races, it is evaluating end-of-season options for a replacement event.

Portimao in Portugal remains the most likely candidate for this, and could potentially slot in as the season finale on December 6, a fortnight after the Las Vegas Grand Prix.