Sultan of Brunei arrives as Sepang hosts surprise F1 GP

The Sultan of Brunei, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, arrived in Malaysia for a special visit in connection with the Formula 1 (F1) Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix (GP) at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC). The Sultan's aircraft landed safely at the Royal Malaysian Air Force base in Subang, where he was welcomed by Tunku Temenggong Johor Tunku Idris Iskandar Al-Haj Sultan Ibrahim and Minister of Youth and Sports Dr Mohammed Taufiq Johari.

A guard of honour, comprising two officers and 26 personnel from the First Battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment, was presented to the Sultan. The SIC has been chosen to host the 2026 F1 Gulf Air Bahrain GP, temporarily serving as the venue for the prestigious race. Formula 1 confirmed in July that Malaysia would host the race, which takes place until Sunday.

This decision follows an agreement between Formula 1, the International Automobile Federation (FIA), and the governments of Malaysia and Bahrain, ensuring the Bahrain GP remains on the 2026 F1 calendar after it was cancelled earlier in the season due to geopolitical tensions in West Asia. Malaysia previously hosted the Malaysian GP at Sepang from 1999 to 2017 before being dropped from the F1 calendar.

The return of the race to Malaysia is a result of diplomatic efforts involving His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, and King Hamad Isa Al-Khalifa of Bahrain.

Brief written by urgent.news from Malay Mail's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.