Bahrain GP in Malaysia: F1 Has Seen This Before

The Bahrain Grand Prix will take place in Malaysia this week, with the Sepang International Circuit stepping in to host the event after the original race at Bahrain International Circuit was ruled out.

Bahrain GP Moves to Malaysia

The 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix will be staged at Sepang after the original April date was postponed and subsequent security concerns across the Middle East prevented the event from returning to Bahrain International Circuit.

The race will retain its Bahrain identity despite being held thousands of kilometres away from the country it represents. Bahrain is understood to be helping fund the move, while the Gulf state's national airline will continue as the title sponsor of the event.

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Although unusual, the arrangement is far from unprecedented in Formula 1. The championship has previously used national Grand Prix titles for races staged outside the country named in the event.

The 1982 Swiss Grand Prix Was Held in France

One of the clearest examples came in 1982, when the Swiss Grand Prix was held at Dijon-Prenois in France. Switzerland had not hosted a world championship round on home soil since 1954 after circuit motor racing was banned in the country following the 1955 Le Mans disaster.

Despite being held across the border, the event retained the Swiss Grand Prix name. Keke Rosberg won the race from eighth on the grid for Williams, finishing ahead of Alain Prost's Renault and Niki Lauda's McLaren.

San Marino Borrowed Imola for 26 Years

The San Marino Grand Prix provides an even longer example. From 1981 to 2006, the event became a regular part of the European Formula 1 calendar despite never being held inside the tiny republic itself.

The reason was largely regulatory. FIA rules allowed each country to host only one national Grand Prix, while Italy already had its own race at Monza. San Marino also lacked the terrain and FIA-standard circuit required to stage a Formula 1 event.

The solution was Imola, located just across the Italian border. The circuit hosted the San Marino Grand Prix under the identity of the neighbouring republic until the event's final running in 2006.

Luxembourg GP Found Its Home in Germany

A similar situation occurred with the Luxembourg Grand Prix, which was held at the Nürburgring in Germany in 1997 and 1998.

Hockenheim already had contractual rights to the German Grand Prix, while Formula 1 regulations prevented two races held in the same country from sharing the same national title. Luxembourg, located roughly 80 kilometres from the Nürburgring, therefore provided an alternative identity for the event.

Jacques Villeneuve won the 1997 Luxembourg Grand Prix for Williams ahead of Jean Alesi's Benetton, while Mika Hakkinen took victory in 1998 after beating Michael Schumacher's Ferrari.

European Grand Prix Crossed Three Countries

The European Grand Prix was another example of Formula 1 using a flexible event identity. The name appeared at six different circuits across three countries during its history.

Brands Hatch and Donington Park hosted the race in Britain, the Nürburgring staged it in Germany, while Spain used both Jerez and the Valencia street circuit. The name later appeared in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Historically, the European Grand Prix title provided a way to stage a second race in a country without violating the one-Grand-Prix-per-nation rule. In Baku, the designation also served as a promotional label for the city's inaugural Formula 1 race in 2016 before the event was renamed the Azerbaijan Grand Prix the following year.

The 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix therefore adds another chapter to a long-running Formula 1 tradition. While the circumstances surrounding the move to Malaysia are unusual, the championship has repeatedly demonstrated that the country in a Grand Prix title does not always have to match the physical location of the circuit.