Sources: Malaysia could be on F1 2026 calendar

Malaysia has emerged as a serious candidate to host a race in 2026 if Formula 1 is unable to reschedule the Bahrain Grand Prix, sources have told ESPN.

F1 cancelled races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia -- which had been scheduled for April 12 and April 19 respectively -- due to the war in Iran earlier this year.

While Saudi Arabia's race will not be rescheduled, Bahrain had been hoping to push its grand prix back to the weekend of October 4, between races in Baku and Singapore.

F1 is keen to fill that gap in the calendar with an event, especially as there remains no guarantee the sport's two final races -- Qatar on November 29 and Abu Dhabi on December 6 -- will be able to go ahead either.

An escalation of hostilities between the United States and Iran in recent weeks has not only intensified the doubt over the end of the season, but has also made the idea of Bahrain holding an event this year increasingly unlikely -- Bahrain was hit by Iranian missiles earlier this week.

Sources have told ESPN that Malaysia's Sepang circuit, which hosted an F1 race between 1999 and 2017, has emerged as a serious candidate to take that spot should Bahrain's event not be rescheduled.

Formula 1 is understood to have a handful of circuits which have put themselves forward as potential stand-ins, but Sepang has the strongest case.

Not only is it popular with fans and drivers alike, it also make a lot of sense from a logistical stand-point.

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Decisions made this weekend might accelerate that call being made.

The governing FIA's World Motor Sport Council is meeting this weekend to decide on Middle Eastern races for the World Endurance Championship -- WEC postponed a planned race in Qatar back to October, and has its season-ending race in Bahrain set to take place on November 7.

If the FIA decides to cancel both of those on safety grounds, there would be zero chance Bahrain could be considered to host an F1 race even earlier.

It would also cast further doubts on the end of F1's season.

Sources have told ESPN that F1 is keen to wait as long as possible before deciding what to do about those two races, but the growing consensus in the paddock is that both races seem more likely to be cancelled.

F1 had been set to have a 24-race season before the war started.