Why Is the Sepang Race Called the Bahrain GP? F1's History of Borrowed Grand Prix Names

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This weekend Formula 1 is racing at Sepang in Malaysia for the first time since 2017. But if you look at the official timing screens, the race isn't called the Malaysian Grand Prix. It's the Bahrain Grand Prix, officially the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. So why is a race in Southeast Asia named after a country more than 6,000 km away? And has anything like this happened before? Quite a few times, as it turns out.

Why the Sepang race is the Bahrain Grand Prix

The Bahrain Grand Prix was originally scheduled for 12 April at Sakhir. Along with the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, it was called off after the outbreak of the war involving Iran made the region unsafe for Formula 1. Rather than lose the race completely, Formula 1, the FIA and the governments of Bahrain and Malaysia struck a deal: the race would be reinstated later in the year at Sepang, but it would stay the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Under that agreement, announced on 26 July, Bahrain keeps the event: it sets the ticket prices, receives the race proceeds and helps fund the weekend, while its national airline Gulf Air keeps the title sponsorship. Malaysia provides the venue. So the name follows the promoter, not the track. It also means this weekend counts as the 22nd running of the Bahrain Grand Prix, not a 20th Malaysian Grand Prix.

Why Sepang?

Sepang ticked every box at short notice. It is an FIA Grade 1 circuit that hosted 19 Malaysian Grands Prix between 1999 and 2017, its facilities were ready to go, it had a free date in early October, and it sits conveniently on the freight route between Baku and Singapore, the rounds either side of this weekend.

It has happened before: F1's borrowed Grand Prix names

A Grand Prix held outside the country it is named after is rare, but far from new. Here are the best-known examples from World Championship history.

Timeline of F1 Grands Prix held outside their namesake country: Swiss GP in France 1982, San Marino GP in Italy 1981 to 2006, Luxembourg GP in Germany 1997 to 1998, Pacific GP in Japan 1994 to 1995, European GP at various venues 1983 to 2016, Bahrain GP in Malaysia 2026

San Marino Grand Prix (1981–2006) – held in Italy

The most famous example of all. San Marino has no circuit of its own, so its Grand Prix was held at Imola, about 74 km away in Italy. The name gave Italy a way to host a second World Championship race alongside the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, and the San Marino GP ran 26 times before it was dropped after 2006.

Swiss Grand Prix (1982) – held in France

The closest match to this weekend. Switzerland banned circuit racing after the 1955 Le Mans disaster, but the Swiss Grand Prix returned for one year in 1982 at Dijon-Prenois in France. Keke Rosberg won it, his only victory in the season he became World Champion.

Luxembourg Grand Prix (1997–1998) – held in Germany

With Germany already hosting the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim, a second race at the Nürburgring needed a different name. Neighbouring Luxembourg lent it, and the Luxembourg GP ran twice: Jacques Villeneuve won in 1997 and Mika Häkkinen in 1998.

Pacific Grand Prix (1994–1995) – held in Japan

Japan's second race took the name of an ocean rather than a country. It was held at the TI Circuit Aida, and Michael Schumacher won both editions.

European Grand Prix (1983–2016) – held all over

The ultimate flexible name. The European GP ran 23 times at six different venues: Brands Hatch, the Nürburgring, Donington Park, Jerez, Valencia and finally Baku in 2016, before Azerbaijan switched to its own national name.

Honourable mentions

Caesars Palace Grand Prix (1981–1982): named after a Las Vegas hotel and raced around its car park.
The 2020 COVID season: F1 invented names to rescue the calendar, including the Styrian GP and 70th Anniversary GP for second races in Austria and Britain, the Eifel GP at the Nürburgring and the Sakhir GP on Bahrain's outer circuit.

So what makes 2026 different?

Every previous example was a short hop: the San Marino, Luxembourg and Swiss races were all held within 200 km of their namesake. This weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix is on another continent, roughly 6,000 km from the circuit at Sakhir, and it is the established national race of a country that still runs the event from afar. As far as we know, nothing in World Championship history has gone quite that far.

Distance from namesake to actual venue: Bahrain GP 2026 Sakhir to Sepang 6,041 km, Swiss GP 1982 198 km, Luxembourg GP 99 km, San Marino GP 74 km

Follow the Bahrain GP in Malaysia live

Session times, results and teammate gaps from every session are in our Bahrain GP 2026 weekend guide, and you can watch qualifying and the race with us on our F1 live watchalong with live timing and data-driven commentary.