Could Malaysia step in again to host F1 races, should the war continue?

Sepang could step in for Formula 1 again in 2027. The Malaysian circuit is where Max Verstappen took Red Bull's first win of the season, and it is now being discussed as a stand-in if the Middle East season openers cannot go ahead.

Saudi Arabia's March race is under real threat and comes as Formula E change their race schedule for next season accordingly, and the success of the relocated Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia has made a repeat of that arrangement a possibility.

The circuit's management has played down the talk. On Wednesday, Sepang International Circuit chief executive Azhan Shafriman Hanif told reporters: "This is not true," when he was asked about social media speculation that Malaysia could host the 2027 opener.

F1's provisional 2027 calendar starts with Bahrain on 14 March, and Saudi Arabia follows a week later. Both races were called off this year because of the Iran war. F1 will keep monitoring the region at its current intensity into the new season, even if Qatar and Abu Dhabi go ahead this year without problems.

However, the two openers face different levels of risk. Bahrain is considered stable enough to go ahead. Saudi Arabia is not, because the recent escalation of fighting with Yemen's Houthi movement has put it on many governments' advise-against-travel lists meaning that without a dramatic improvement by the start of next year, the March race in Saudi Arabia cannot take place.

If only Saudi Arabia drops out, then the season is expected to begin with testing at Sakhir in February and the opener there on 14 March, with the Australian Grand Prix following on 4 April. This week's decision to stand Imola down applies only to the 2026 finale, as GPblog reported.

If Bahrain cannot run either, this year's arrangement could be repeated. Bahrain's original 12th April date was cancelled earlier this year, and the race was moved to Sepang on 4th October as the "Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia". It was F1's first visit to the circuit since 2017.

The money is what made it possible and while Bahrain paid most, if not all, of the reported $50 million hosting fee, the attendance raised questions if Sepang could not have been considered as a 2027 option in itself.

After the race, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim confirmed that he had held talks with F1 about the country becoming a regular host again.

Red Bull will remember the circuit fondly. After heavy rain delayed the start twice, Verstappen dropped behind the Mercedes pair of Kimi Antonelli and George Russell at the start. He fought back to beat Antonelli by 2.307 seconds, with Lewis Hamilton third for Ferrari.

It was the 72nd win of Verstappen's career and his first since the 2025 season finale in Abu Dhabi. Until then, Red Bull had gone through the start of the new 2026 regulations without a Grand Prix victory. Antonelli still extended his championship lead to 84 points that day after an engine problem forced Russell to retire.

Whether Sepang hosts F1 again so soon depends on events in the Gulf over the coming months and on who pays. The circuit's denial shows that nothing has been agreed yet.