Sepang circuit swept as Pirelli reports stones breaking loose

Formula 1 is due to return to Malaysia’s Sepang circuit on 4 October for a one-off race standing in for the Bahrain Grand Prix. The combination of long straights, a rough track surface and the 2026 cars’ energy demands could make tyre management and overtaking harder to predict.

In an Autosport preview published on 1 October, Fernando Alonso said he expects drivers to recharge their batteries through Sepang’s middle sector before using energy on three successive straights. Autosport suggests that could produce the back-and-forth overtaking seen at other races this season. George Russell offered a competing consideration: he expects the tyres to overheat, potentially making it harder to follow another car closely or attack again after being passed. He said the effect remains unknown.

Pirelli has selected its C2, C3 and C4 tyre compounds. Autosport expects Sepang’s rough surface to make tyre degradation a greater factor than at other races this season. Rain would add another question. Carlos Sainz said he had heard from drivers who had used this year’s wet and intermediate tyres that they were difficult to manage, while Isack Hadjar voiced concern about racing in substantial water with the cars’ energy delivery.

Those are pre-race expectations rather than a settled picture of how the Grand Prix will unfold. The effect of tyre overheating on overtaking, and whether rain brings the wet-weather tyres into play, will become clearer when the cars run at Sepang.

Update

McLaren’s Oscar Piastri has likened Sepang’s asphalt to sandpaper ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix at the Malaysian circuit. He expects tyre wear to be a major challenge and suggested that afternoon rain could wash away grip built up by cars running on the track.

Max Verstappen also expects considerable tyre wear on the rough surface. He said it would affect how drivers deploy energy from their hybrid power units.

Mercedes driver George Russell said tyres could overheat even on an out-lap before a qualifying run. He suggested that could make it harder to follow another car and attack again after being overtaken, though he said the effects remained unpredictable.

Update

The Sepang circuit has been swept repeatedly after small stones broke loose from its asphalt during Friday’s practice sessions, Pirelli’s Simone Berra said. Crews were cleaning the track after each session, but the surface was still breaking up while cars were running.

Berra said the FIA had inspected the circuit over the preceding two days and had also seen loose stones around the track. Further sweeping was planned for Saturday and before the race, he added.

Berra assessed the immediate safety and puncture risk as relatively low, saying the main effect was a sharp loss of grip. Oscar Piastri also described Friday’s surface as slippery and dusty, with small stones rather than sand.