29 September 2026 14:30 (UTC)
"Returning to Sepang for the first time in almost a decade presents an interesting challenge, particularly with limited recent data"
Traditionally wet, often chaotic, and always unmissable: Formula 1 in Malaysia is a test of speed, strategy, and survival.
With F1 unable to race in Sakhir in April, the Bahrain Grand Prix will instead take place on another one of F1’s most popular tracks.
Medium and high-speed corners, long straights and high tyre degradation make for a fascinating mix at the Sepang International Circuit, but it’s the weather – fast-changing and unpredictable – that really makes this venue stand out.
When it rains here, it really pours. Fans will remember the 2009 Malaysian Grand Prix, which was stopped and cut short by a storm, along with many others where the heavens spectacularly opened. Nine years since it last hosted the Malaysian Grand Prix, which was a constant on the calendar between 1999 and 2017, its addition to the 2026 calendar is very welcome.
Neither Lando nor Oscar has raced here previously, and for many of the Papaya Family, this is also likely to be your first experience of Sepang. To get you up to speed, we’ve gathered the thoughts of Senior Director, Racing, Randy Singh, highlighted the key sections of the circuits, and posed another piece of trackside trivia.
"Returning to Sepang for the first time in almost a decade presents an interesting challenge, particularly with limited recent data for this generation of cars. We have prepared extensively in the simulator, including giving Lando and Oscar time to learn the circuit, but there can be uncertainty around the accuracy of circuit models and our understanding of the tarmac, which will be an important factor in tyre behaviour. Friday will therefore be especially valuable as the drivers tune themselves into the circuit and we work through the best setup and car configuration, understand the tyres, and assess overtaking and racing with the new cars and power units.
"From a performance perspective, Sepang demands a careful balance between load and drag. The long straights place a premium on power and deployment optimisation, while the range of corners rewards a car with good load, which is where I expect teams may lean. Following the significant upgrade package introduced in Azerbaijan, we will not bring as much to Malaysia, although we expect to have some circuit-specific bodywork.
"Strategically, Sepang has traditionally placed an emphasis on managing high degradation and selecting the quickest tyre sequence rather than prioritising track position, but if overtaking is more difficult under the new power-unit regulations, that balance could shift. The prospect of heavy afternoon rain is also a significant part of our preparation, particularly as there have not yet been any competitive wet sessions under the current regulations and Sepang can produce rainfall of considerable intensity."
Despite the energy-sapping humidity, Sepang is often regarded as a driver favourite, so that must mean it’s pretty special.
The circuit’s width is one of its defining features and a major reason drivers love racing there. More than 20 metres across in places, it offers multiple lines through its 15 corners, giving drivers plenty of scope to attack and defend. Unlike the tight and twisty Baku, overtaking is not an issue.
That is particularly important at the end of the long start-finish straight, where a heavy braking zone into the sweeping Turn 1 provides one of the best overtaking opportunities of the lap.
But true speed is never accrued just down the straights. The middle sector is where the real demands begin, with the quick changes of direction through Turns 5 and 6 followed by the long, right-handers of Turns 10, 11 and 13. Carry too little speed and time disappears - carry too much and the front tyres pay a steep price.
Speaking of tyres, those who treat them well will prosper. Though Pirelli tyres have changed considerably since we last raced here, a two- and even three-stop strategy is common.
In Qualifying, the penultimate corner will be crucial, as it requires precision under braking and patience on the throttle, particularly if the track is slick. A lock-up can ruin the corner – and potentially the run to the line.
Last weekend’s result in Azerbaijan was a tough one to take, with Lando retiring following a collision with Franco Colapinto, and Oscar finishing outside the points, despite contending for a podium up until Lap 40, when a lock-up forced him wide, dropping him out of the top 10. However, there were several positives to take, for Oscar in particular, who felt he was closer to the level he expects of himself over the course of the weekend.
The team hopes to be more competitive in Sepang, with Baku’s unique combination of slow corners and the calendar’s longest straight exposing some of the weaknesses of the MCL40 - most notably its straight-line speed.
Last weekend’s significant upgrade package should perform better on a circuit with a wider variety of challenges, while the team will benefit from further practice sessions with which to hone it.
In the Drivers’ standings, Lando is fourth on 186 points, 13 behind third place, while Oscar is seventh on 120 points, 43 off sixth. We are third in the Constructors’ Championship on 306 points, 72 points behind second.
McLaren’s entry into 2007 was impressive. The team had signed reigning World Champion Fernando Alonso and paired him with GP2 Champion and all-round rookie sensation, Lewis Hamilton. In the opening round in Australia, Kimi Räikkönen, who had departed McLaren for Ferrari, converted Pole to win by a reasonable margin, while Fernando and Lewis were both on the podium.
Malaysia held Round 2 three weeks later. “There was always a lot of enthusiasm from the fans in Sepang, and a lot of people would always travel to the race each year,” recalls Mark Norris, Director, Commercial Trackside Operations who was managing the team’s title partnership at the time.
"I attended the first F1 race in Malaysia in 1999," Mark continues, reflecting on the challenging conditions Sepang had to offer. "My memories of Sepang instantly go to the heat and humidity but also the rain! The rain would always come mid to late afternoon without fail, it was always a standout part of the day for me."
Heading into the weekend at the 2007 event, the team still had a deficit to Ferrari on single-lap pace, with Felipe Massa taking Pole at Sepang, but Fernando was alongside him, with the order replicated on the second row, with Räikkönen P3 and Lewis P4. The McLarens got a dream start, with Fernando up the inside and into the lead, and Lewis holding the inside all the way through the first complex, emerging in P2.
While Fernando pulled away at the start, Lewis was busy fighting off both Ferraris. Massa had a couple of serious attacks into Turn 4, running wide the first time, and running wider the second, sliding through gravel and grass and losing places to Räikkönen and BMW-Sauber’s Nick Heidfeld. Kimi was a little more circumspect but couldn’t find a way through either.
The race was a two-stopper, not for the Bridgestone tyres, which were basically bullet-proof, but rather for optimum fuelling. Massa came in on Lap 17, Fernando on Lap 18 with Kimi, Lewis on Lap 20. It didn’t alter the order. Likewise, with the second stops: Lewis on Lap 38, Fernando on Lap 40, Kimi on Lap 41. Fernando cruised to his first McLaren victory, his second in Malaysia, 17 seconds ahead of Lewis and Kimi, who went all the way to the line.
The 1-2 finish – the team’s 41st in Formula 1 – promoted Fernando to the top of the Drivers’ Championship, and McLaren to the top of the Constructors’. Fernando was already replicating the imperious form that had won the 2005 and 2006 Championships for Renault, and the calmness with which Lewis held off Räikkönen suggested we’d unearthed another superstar.
Each race week, we’ll be putting the same question to Lando and Oscar to find out just how similar (or different) they really are. The question could be anything: from their favourite corner on the F1 calendar, to their ultimate pre-race anthem, or even the one food they absolutely refuse to eat on race week.
What is your favourite sporting achievement/moment of all time?
Lando: Obviously, I love golf, so I am going to say watching Rory McIlroy win the Masters last year. Can he go back-to-back? By the time this question comes out, you will already know the answer! Seeing Tiger Woods win back the Masters in 2019 would be another – that’s probably one of the most iconic moments in. the history of sport. I can remember watching it on TV, even though I didn’t know much about golf at the time. It was pretty epic, but I’d still have to go with Rory in 2024.
Oscar: There are a lot of cool ones. I think either the Cleveland Cavaliers winning the 2016 NBA Finals after coming back from 3-1 down against the Golden State Warriors. Or Michael Phelps winning eight gold medals in the 2008 Beijing Olympics – that was ridiculous.
