Ferrari returns to Sepang for the Bahrain Grand Prix, F1's first visit to Malaysia since 2017

Scuderia Ferrari HP is set to get back on track for the 16th round of the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship: the Bahrain Grand Prix, which unusually will be held at the Sepang International Circuit. Sepang is thus back on the calendar for the first time since 2017, and the Malaysian event is the second race of the season's first triple-header. Just days after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton return to action this weekend before heading to Singapore to complete a particularly demanding run of three races for both the teams and the drivers.

Opened in 1999 and designed by Hermann Tilke, the Sepang International Circuit was a permanent fixture on the Formula 1 calendar from 1999 to 2017. The circuit is 5.543 kilometres long with 15 corners, two long straights, and a mix of heavy braking zones and very fast sections, while the width of the track allows drivers to choose different lines. Among its most distinctive features are the fast sequence of Turns 5 and 6 and the final hairpin, Turn 15, which leads onto the main straight. The race will be run over 56 laps, a distance of 310.398 kilometres.

Sepang is demanding on tyres and drivers alike: high-speed corners place heavy loads on the tyres, while high track temperatures can increase degradation, making tyre management one of the key factors of the weekend. High temperatures and humidity make the weekend especially tough for the drivers, and frequent tropical storms can change the scenario within minutes, so teams must be ready to react quickly to any change in track conditions. Experience is another variable, as only ten drivers on the current grid, including Lewis Hamilton, have raced at Sepang before, while Charles Leclerc has not, although he took part in FP1 at the circuit in 2017 at the wheel of a Sauber.

Paolo Castellani, Ferrari's ICT Track Engineer, says almost ten years away is a very long time in a field of continuous technological development, recently accelerated by artificial intelligence, but the key to operational efficiency is still careful planning in the months beforehand: adequate space, and guaranteed electrical power and cooling capacity. Sepang regularly hosts international-level events such as MotoGP and top-level GT competitions and is very well managed and maintained, although circumstances dictated a short timeframe for this event. High temperatures, very high humidity and the possibility of heavy rain require adequately sized cooling systems drawing considerable electrical power, plus emergency procedures and sufficient ventilation and heat dissipation to keep essential systems operational, because modern Formula 1 garage operations increasingly depend on the reliability of the IT infrastructure. Born in Ponte dell'Olio on 25 May 1973, Castellani began in 1997, when tools such as email, laptops and mobile connectivity were in their infancy, and says the pride of being part of the Scuderia is the same almost thirty years on.