Formula 1 returns to Sepang after nine years with a major tyre challenge awaiting the teams. The Malaysian circuit will host the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang, and Pirelli has selected the C2, C3 and C4 compounds in the hope of opening up the strategic battle and making two-stop approaches more competitive.
Pirelli recently sent technicians to Malaysia to analyse the circuit, and the measurements suggest that the surface characteristics remain relatively close to those recorded in 2017. Sepang still features abrasive asphalt, comparable in roughness to Bahrain, while high temperatures are expected to make thermal degradation one of the key factors teams will need to manage.
Formula 1 returns to Sepang with a very different tyre challenge
After nine years away, dating back to that distant 2016 race that produced such a dramatic and unexpected turning point in the championship fight when Lewis Hamilton retired with a power unit failure, Sepang finally returns to the Formula 1 calendar.
It does so in unusual circumstances by hosting the Bahrain Grand Prix, allowing Formula 1 to recover one of the races originally postponed in April. Beyond simply recovering a Grand Prix, the major positive is the return of Sepang itself, widely regarded as one of the most impressive circuits added to the calendar over the past three decades before it disappeared after 2016.
For teams and drivers, the weekend represents a complex challenge because Formula 1 last raced there during a technical era very different from the present one, with cars and tyres that bear little resemblance to those used today. From a tyre perspective, Sepang generates medium levels of energy and sits in a severity range comparable to Spa and China.
However, the often very high ambient and track temperatures make thermal degradation a crucial variable in tyre management. There is also a risk of rain this week, hardly unusual in Malaysia given the frequent heavy downpours. If cloud cover does not keep temperatures down, teams could instead face a very hot track surface with a significant impact on degradation.
Pirelli chooses C2, C3 and C4 to encourage more strategy options
Pirelli has selected the C2, C3 and C4 compounds, the middle and most versatile range available. It is a slightly more aggressive choice than the three hardest compounds, which would have represented the more conservative option given the circuit characteristics and expected temperatures.
The objective is to widen the strategic possibilities and reduce the performance gap between one-stop and two-stop approaches, giving teams a broader range of potential race plans. The tyre choices and eventual stint behaviour can also be followed through the ScuderiaFans F1 tyre and stint analysis.
The subject is particularly relevant for Ferrari, with the characteristics of the selected compounds potentially playing an important role in how the SF-26 behaves over the weekend. The implications of the Sepang allocation for Maranello are examined further in our analysis of why Pirelli’s Sepang compounds could suit Ferrari better than Baku.
Abrasive asphalt and thermal degradation will test both axles
Beyond a circuit layout featuring numerous traction zones and several fast corners that place significant stress on the rear tyres, another important factor is the asphalt itself. Sepang has an abrasive surface, with roughness comparable to Bahrain while retaining its own specific characteristics.
Sakhir has one of the most abrasive track surfaces on the entire Formula 1 calendar, with the asphalt having never been replaced during the circuit’s history of more than 20 years. That comparison gives teams an important indication of the type of challenge they could face in Malaysia.
Grip is likely to be limited on Friday, partly because the frequent rain showers tend to wash the track clean. Track evolution should therefore be pronounced, with grip gradually increasing as more rubber is deposited onto the surface. Managing the temperatures across both axles will be one of the main difficulties, an issue that has historically had a major influence on performance in Malaysia.
Pirelli finds Sepang surface still similar to 2017
The circuit has undergone several changes in recent years. In 2023, the section between Turns 6 and 12 was resurfaced, while additional localised work was carried out at Turn 9.
Before the cars take to the track, Pirelli sent technicians directly to Sepang to analyse the circuit, particularly because Formula 1’s historical data is now around ten years old. The assessments carried out by Pirelli engineers a few weeks ago nevertheless indicate that the general characteristics of the surface remain very similar to those measured in 2017.
More recently, starting in September, work was carried out to flatten and clean the asphalt, removing irregularities and improving the circuit conditions ahead of the race weekend. This should also allow the cars to run at lower ride heights.
Friday practice becomes crucial with limited modern data
One of the most delicate factors will be the shortage of relevant data. Despite Sepang being a historic Formula 1 venue, no team possesses genuinely useful reference information with the current generation of cars.
Friday practice will therefore carry greater importance than usual. For a substantial part of the grid, Sepang will effectively feel like a new circuit, while teams work to identify the correct balance and understand how the tyres behave across changing track conditions.
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