The FIA has confirmed that the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang International Circuit will start at 15:00 local time on Sunday 4 October, ruling out the possibility of the race being held under floodlights. Qualifying will begin at 16:00 local time on Saturday 3 October, following confusion caused by an incorrect schedule displayed in the official Formula 1 app.
The unusual event, officially retaining the Bahrain Grand Prix name despite being held in Malaysia, will take place from 2 to 4 October. Sepang was added to the revised 2026 Formula 1 calendar after the race originally planned for Sakhir could not be held at its usual venue.
F1 app error suggested a Sepang night race
An error in the calendar section of the official Formula 1 app briefly led fans to believe that the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia would be staged in the evening. Sepang has an artificial lighting system, making the suggestion technically plausible and creating speculation that Formula 1 could use the circuit for a night race.
The information was incorrect. Race organisers quickly denied that an evening start had been planned and clarified that the Grand Prix would follow a traditional daytime schedule. The FIA has now provided official confirmation through its updated list of session start times.
The clarification ends the uncertainty created by the erroneous listing and confirms that the possible Sepang night-race schedule will not be used.
What time does the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix start at Sepang?
The FIA published the qualifying and race start times for the final 12 rounds of the season on its official social media accounts. The update also included the two remaining Sprint races, which will be held at Zandvoort and Singapore.
For the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang, the confirmed schedule is:
- Qualifying: Saturday 3 October at 16:00 local time
- Race: Sunday 4 October at 15:00 local time
The Grand Prix will complete an unprecedented Asian triple-header following the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku and the nearby Singapore Grand Prix. The Sepang weekend will also mark Formula 1’s return to the Malaysian circuit, although the event will officially be classified as the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix.
Italian and European start times for the Bahrain GP in Malaysia
The time-zone difference makes the schedule less convenient for European viewers, although the sessions will not begin at prohibitive hours. Malaysia does not observe daylight saving time, while Italy will still be using Central European Summer Time during the first weekend of October.
Italy will therefore be six hours behind Kuala Lumpur. Qualifying will begin at 10:00 CEST on Saturday 3 October, while the race will start at 09:00 CEST on Sunday 4 October.
For viewers in the United Kingdom, the race is scheduled to begin at 08:00, with qualifying starting at 09:00 on Saturday.
Qatar and Abu Dhabi remain on the updated schedule
The FIA’s revised start-time graphic continues to list Qatar and Abu Dhabi as the final two events of the 2026 season. Both rounds remain in their expected positions on the calendar.
However, uncertainty remains over the end of the championship. Should instability in the Persian Gulf continue, the Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix could be cancelled and replaced by one or two European races.
Stefano Domenicali recently confirmed that Formula 1 is considering contingency options. Imola and Portimão are believed to be the leading candidates to join the calendar during 2026 should replacement venues be required, potentially creating an unexpected European conclusion to the season.
For now, the final two rounds remain scheduled as planned. The immediate certainty concerns the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia: Formula 1 will race at Sepang during daylight, with the start confirmed for 15:00 local time on 4 October.
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