Fans Savour F1 Return, Bahrain-Malaysia Cultural Mix

SEPANG, Oct 2 (Bernama) -- For Formula 1 (F1) fans, the return of the sport to Sepang International Circuit (SIC) after nine years is reason enough to celebrate, but for some international spectators, the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2026 offers an added attraction - the chance to experience two cultures in one setting.

Tunisia's Emna Ben Salem, 20, who travelled from the African continent to Malaysia for her first-ever F1 Grand Prix, said the combination of the Bahrain race and Malaysian setting made the experience particularly special.

“Coming here, seeing the Bahrain culture, and then outside seeing the Malay culture, seeing all the Malaysians here and also the Arab people here, it's so crazy.

“This is special, this is like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I am so happy that Sepang is back after 2017. It's like a mix of the two…It's so exciting,” she told Bernama here, today. 

Emna said she chose Malaysia for her first Grand Prix despite having numerous other races to choose from, describing the experience as 100 percent worth it, while also cheering for Williams driver Carlos Sainz.

For Ankush Sharma, 32, from India, the decision to attend the race was similarly driven by the opportunity to finally experience the iconic SIC, after F1's return to Malaysia was announced.

“This is my first race ever. I was planning for Baku (Azerbaijan), but when I got to know Sepang is happening, I was like, I want to see this circuit, so I am here,” said Ankush, who spend around USD2,000 for his ticket and trip to watch the race here. 

Ankush, who is visiting Malaysia for second time, hopes SIC would remain on the F1 calendar, describing Sepang as one of the most attractive circuits and praising its facilities.

“Malaysia F1 is one of the most beautiful circuits, even the race drivers themselves say that whenever they used to play it on F1 (esports), they loved playing on this circuit. I think it's one of the finest circuits…We need to have more races in Sepang,” he added.

For Kuala Lumpur couple Abdul Azim Azlan, 27, and his wife Nur El Syifa Mohd Shafik, 27, the return of F1 to Malaysian soil provided an opportunity they had been waiting for.

Abdul Azim said he had followed F1 since his school days and had never watched a race live before, but decided to attend after learning that the Bahrain Grand Prix would be held at Sepang instead of travelling to Singapore as initially planned.

They booked accommodation near Nilai to make it easier to travel to the circuit, with Abdul Azim saying he was particularly excited by Sepang's long straights, high-speed corners and overtaking opportunities.

Beyond the racing action, he said the Bahrain-themed cultural activities at the Bahrain Village offered a unique experience, allowing visitors to witness traditional crafts, cultural performances and authentic local flavours.

“Actually, I feel like I'm in Bahrain since there's a lot of cultural activities. You can try their food, you can try their clothes, it's very interesting. It's like I'm in Malaysia, but I get to experience Bahrain,” he said.

The Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2026 is being held at SIC from Oct 2 to 4 after Formula 1 confirmed in July that Malaysia would host the race following an agreement involving Formula 1, the International Automobile Federation (FIA) and the governments of Malaysia and Bahrain.

The agreement ensured the Bahrain Grand Prix remained on the 2026 F1 calendar after the race was cancelled earlier this season due to geopolitical tensions in West Asia.

Malaysia previously hosted the Malaysian Grand Prix at SIC from 1999 to 2017 before the race was dropped from the F1 calendar.

-- BERNAMA