How to follow Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia on the BBC

Round 16 of the 2026 Formula 1 season heads to the Sepang International Circuit for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, from 2-4 October.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen will start at the front of the pack for the first time this season, with Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton second and championship leader Kimi Antonelli third in the Mercedes.

Red Bull's Isack Hadjar qualified third but will take a grid penalty for Sunday's race to start eighth.

In the drivers' championship, George Russell has closed the gap on Mercedes team-mate Antonelli to 66 points following his win in Azerbaijan last weekend.

Lights out for Sunday's 56-lap grand prix will be at 08:00 BST.

The Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix were initially scheduled for April but were called off in March as a result of the war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran.

The arrangement to stage this race between Bahrain and Malaysia was heavily influenced by Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa.

Despite being held in Malaysia, Bahrain have retained the naming rights for the event, which is officially known as the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.

Commentary of the race will be available across BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport website and app.

You can also ask your smart speaker to 'Play 5 Live', for example.

Make sure to listen to every episode of the Chequered Flag podcast. For the first time this year, the post-race show for every grand prix is available to watch on BBC iPlayer and YouTube., external

All times BST

Sunday, 4 October

Race: 08:00 with build-up from 07:45 - 5 Live

Thundery showers and light winds are forecast for Sunday's 56-lap race, with temperatures reaching a high of 32C.