Why is Malaysia hosting the F1 Bahrain Grand Prix?
· Yahoo Sports
Formula 1 returns to a fan-favourite circuit this weekend as the Sepang circuit in Malaysia hosts the Bahrain Grand Prix in a one-off event.
George Russell got his season back on track with a first victory in three months at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix last time out, pipping Max Verstappen to the line to narrow the deficit on championship leader and Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli to 66 points.
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Antonelli, who crashed out of qualifying, recovered from the back of the grid to finish fifth while Isack Hadjar joined Verstappen on the podium on a positive day for Red Bull. However, it was a tricky day for McLaren and Ferrari, who both struggled for form and pace.
As for this weekend, Bahrain’s original grand prix date in April was cancelled due to the war in the Middle East. The Gulf country have, however, opted to pay the hosting fees to have their name attached to Sepang’s return to the calendar for the first time in nine years this weekend.
See below for all the info regarding the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia:
Why is Malaysia hosting the Bahrain Grand Prix?
Organisers of the Bahrain Grand Prix were desperate to hold their event this season – even if racing at the Sakhir circuit in Bahrain proved to be an unfathomable option.
The race in April, alongside the grand prix in Saudi Arabia, was cancelled due to unrest in the region following the start of the US-Iran war at the end of February. With the war still ongoing, the staging of season-concluding races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi remains doubtful.
Yet the Sepang circuit on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur became a viable option over the summer period.
The 3.4-mile circuit hosted a Formula 1 grand prix from 1999 to 2017 before withdrawing from the sport when they couldn’t match the host fees required.
Yet the racetrack is still used for other motorsport events, such as MotoGP, and its proximity to Singapore (hosting a race on 11 October) meant hosting an event in Malaysia was considered a feasible option.
F1 was always keen to add to the 22-race calendar given the two cancelled races in April and, as such, a compromise was reached whereby the race will be held in Malaysia but under the title of the ‘Bahrain Grand Prix’. Bahraini organisers will pay the hosting fees needed to stage the event, while it offers a financial boost to the Malaysian venue amid ticket and hospitality sales.
Malaysia last hosted an F1 race in 2017 (Getty)When is the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia?
Times BST
Friday 2 October
- Free practice 1: 5:30am
- Free practice 2: 9am
Saturday 3 October
- Free practice 3: 5:30am
- Qualifying: 9am
Saturday 4 October
- Race: 8am
How can I watch it online and on TV?
The Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom. Sky’s coverage of Sunday’s race starts at 6:30am (BST).
Sky Sports subscribers can watch all the action from Kuala Lumpur on the Sky Go app. If you’re not a Sky customer, you can grab aNOWTV Day Pass here to watch without a subscription.
In the United States, every practice, qualifying and race session is streamed on Apple TV this year. You can stream Apple TV for FREE, with Apple TV’sseven-day free trial.
If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch, then you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. OurVPN roundup is here to help.