The 2026 Formula 1 race at Sepang will take place in the afternoon, circuit officials have confirmed, ending speculation that Malaysia’s return to the calendar could become a night Grand Prix. The confusion began when the official F1 app displayed the 4 October race between 20:00 and 22:00 local time.
Malaysian national news agency Bernama investigated the published schedule and established that the evening listing was an error. Sepang International Circuit CEO Azhan Shafriman Hanif then issued a brief clarification confirming that the Grand Prix would be staged during the afternoon rather than at night.
Sepang GP start time corrected after F1 app error
The timing shown in the Formula 1 app quickly attracted attention on social media because it appeared to come from an official platform. Reports consequently raised the possibility that the championship was preparing to introduce a night race for its return to Sepang.
The incorrect listing showed the Grand Prix beginning at 20:00 and ending at 22:00 in Malaysia. That schedule had fuelled the earlier discussion over whether Formula 1 could stage its first Sepang night race, but the clarification from the circuit has now ruled out that prospect.
Although the event has been confirmed for the afternoon, no corrected start time was provided in the statement attributed to Azhan Shafriman Hanif. The central point, however, is that Formula 1 will not adopt the evening timetable originally displayed by its app.
How Sepang’s return fits into the 2026 F1 calendar
Formula 1 confirmed Sepang’s return the previous Sunday after reaching an agreement with the governments of Malaysia and Bahrain. The Malaysian circuit will stage the round that replaces the Bahrain event cancelled from its original April slot amid geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.
The arrangement allows the Bahrain Grand Prix to remain part of the championship despite the race being held away from the Bahrain International Circuit. Further details about the unusual agreement and the event scheduled for 2–4 October were outlined when Formula 1 announced the relocated Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang.
Saudi Arabia’s original 2026 race was also cancelled because of the regional situation. Adding the Sepang event restored another round to the revised 2026 Formula 1 calendar while bringing the Malaysian venue back into the championship.
Formula 1 returns to Malaysia for the first time since 2017
Sepang last hosted Formula 1 in 2017, when Max Verstappen won ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Daniel Ricciardo. Its comeback therefore ends a nine-year absence for a circuit that was a regular fixture on the calendar for nearly two decades.
Across the Malaysian Grand Prix’s 19 years in Formula 1, the race was always held during the afternoon. That history further distinguishes Sepang from established night events such as Singapore and Las Vegas.
The error on the F1 app briefly suggested that the circuit’s return would introduce a major break with that tradition. Instead, the confirmation from Sepang means the 2026 race will follow the daytime format associated with Malaysia’s previous Formula 1 events.
Leave a Reply