The Kingdom preserves its place on the F1 calendar through unprecedented cross-border agreement as Sepang hosts race under Bahrain’s name.
Bahrain will preserve its place on the Formula One calendar this season after striking an unprecedented agreement to relocate its Grand Prix to Malaysia, allowing the race to go ahead under the Bahrain name despite being held more than 5,500 kilometres away.
The event will officially be known as the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, with Sepang International Circuit stepping in to host the race following geopolitical disruption in the Middle East.
Formula One has previously staged events named after one country in another – including the San Marino Grand Prix in Italy, the Luxembourg Grand Prix in Germany and the Swiss Grand Prix in France.
But Bahrain’s arrangement is believed to be the first time an existing championship race has been moved overseas while retaining its original host nation’s identity. The move highlights the importance countries place on maintaining a presence on the Formula One calendar, where races have become major tourism, investment and nation-branding platforms.
