{
  "id": 11214749,
  "title": "Verstappen relishes Sepang return",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/01/verstappen-relishes-sepang-return",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-01T14:15:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/highlight/2026/10/01/verstappen-relishes-sepang-return"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Max Verstappen, a driver for Red Bull Racing, expressed his delight at returning to Sepang International Circuit (SIC) for this weekend's F1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2026. The Dutch racing star has fond memories of the 5.543-kilometre track, where he secured the second victory of his career during the 2017 Malaysian Grand Prix, claiming a 1:30:01.290 winning time. Upon stepping into the SIC paddock, Verstappen mentioned that it took some time to regain his bearings, as the circuit felt unfamiliar. Despite the initial adjustment, the driver admitted that the track's challenging layout, known for high degradation and heat, made it an enjoyable experience for him. Verstappen described the SIC as \"not very straightforward\" and \"quite uncomfortable\" to drive physically, but acknowledged that the memories he made there were great. The Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton finished second, 12.770 seconds behind Verstappen, while his Red Bull Racing teammate Daniel Ricciardo rounded out the podium in third place, 22.519 seconds further back.",
  "summary": "Dutchman Max Verstappen was the last driver to win an F1 race at Sepang when he clinched the 2017 edition.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Verstappen relishes Sepang return",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/01/verstappen-relishes-sepang-return-11215997",
        "published": "2026-10-01T14:15:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}