Don't have an F1 ticket? Or maybe the thought of joining tens of thousands of people heading towards Sepang this weekend suddenly sounds a little less appealing?
Good news: you can watch the entire F1 weekend live from home.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced today (Oct 2) that RTM will broadcast the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia 2026 live, giving Malaysians across the country another way to catch F1's return to Sepang.
And RTM Malaysia has confirmed that its coverage isn't limited to Sunday's race either.
The broadcaster is showing all three practice sessions, qualifying and the main race, with coverage available via TV Okey and RTMKlik.
And it's not just Sunday's race. According to RTM Malaysia, its coverage in cooperation with beIN SPORTS will run throughout the race weekend, covering all three free practice sessions, qualifying and the main race.
Here's when to watch:
| Session | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Practice 1 | Friday, Oct 2 | 12:30 PM |
| Practice 2 | Friday, Oct 2 | 4 PM |
| Practice 3 | Saturday, Oct 3 | 12:30 PM |
| Qualifying | Saturday, Oct 3 | 4 PM |
| Main Race | Sunday, Oct 4 | 3 PM |
RTM is directing viewers to TV Okey and RTMKlik. Its announcement also lists TV Okey as Channel 146 on Astro and Channel 110 on MYTV.
So whether you only care about Sunday's race or you're the type who wants to watch the cars circulating Sepang from FP1 onwards, RTM has essentially got the whole race weekend covered.
Of course, nothing on television quite replaces actually being at Sepang when 20 F1 cars come charging towards Turn 1.
But this is going to be a very busy weekend.
As Carz reported yesterday, nearly 100,000 tickets have already been sold, making this the highest ticket-sales figure recorded for a race held at Sepang.
Meanwhile, KLIA has advised F1 visitors to use public transport amid expectations of a significant increase in traffic and vehicle movements throughout the weekend. Parking at KLIA Terminal 1 and its Long Term Car Park is also expected to be extremely limited.
Police have also introduced five vehicle-screening locations on routes towards SIC, where tickets, vehicle passes and access stickers will be checked before vehicles are allowed into the circuit area.
Here's the slightly strange bit if you haven't been following the story. F1 may be racing at Sepang again, but technically, the Malaysian Grand Prix hasn't returned.
This weekend's event is officially the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia 2026.
The Bahrain GP had been cancelled earlier in the season following geopolitical tensions in West Asia. Malaysia was subsequently confirmed in July as the host venue following an agreement involving Formula 1, the FIA and the governments of Malaysia and Bahrain. Bernama has a useful breakdown of how the unusual arrangement brought the Bahrain GP to Sepang.
The result is that Malaysia gets F1 racing at Sepang again after a nine-year absence, even if there's a different country's name sitting above the door this time.
