Fernando Alonso Calls F1’s Return to Sepang a Golden Ticket as Drivers Relish Malaysia Homecoming

• Fernando Alonso called Formula 1’s return to Sepang a “golden ticket” after admitting he never expected to race in Malaysia again.
• Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen are the only other drivers on the current grid to have won at the circuit, which last hosted a Grand Prix in 2017.
• Ten drivers on this year’s grid have raced at Sepang before, leaving the other twelve to learn the layout from simulator work alone.

Alonso: “I Didn’t Think I Would Race in Malaysia Again”

Formula 1 arrives at the Sepang International Circuit this weekend for the first time in nine years, and few on the grid are more pleased about it than Fernando Alonso. The Aston Martin driver won at the circuit three times, in 2005 with Renault, in 2007 with McLaren and in 2012 with Ferrari, a record that makes him the most successful driver in Malaysian Grand Prix history among those still racing.

“Yeah, I’m looking forward,” Alonso said. “I didn’t think that I will race in Malaysia again, so that’s a golden ticket that I take. An incredible circuit, demanding race, temperature, humidity, like Singapore, but in daytime. So it will be also a good test for drivers, and yeah, looking forward. I think from the remaining races, probably Sepang is the nicest track. So let’s see.”

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A Circuit With History Written Into It

Sepang hosted the Malaysian Grand Prix 19 times between 1999 and 2017, and its facilities set a new standard when it opened, becoming the first of a generation of purpose-built venues that later included Bahrain, Shanghai, Istanbul and Abu Dhabi. The track’s flowing layout and overtaking opportunities made it a consistent source of good racing, while its hot, humid conditions and unpredictable afternoon rain gave it a reputation as one of the more physically demanding weekends on the calendar.

Ten drivers on the current grid have raced there before: Alonso, whose first Sepang start came in 2001, along with Lewis Hamilton (2007), Nico Hulkenberg (2010), Sergio Perez (2011), Valtteri Bottas (2013), Carlos Sainz and Max Verstappen (both 2015), Esteban Ocon (2016), and Pierre Gasly and Lance Stroll (both 2017). The other twelve have only simulator laps and old broadcasts to prepare them.

Hamilton’s Long History With Petronas Country

Hamilton finished second to Alonso at Sepang in 2007, in what was only his second Formula 1 start, and went on to win the race himself in 2014. His connection to the region runs deeper than most through Mercedes’ long partnership with title sponsor Petronas, the Malaysian energy company headquartered in Kuala Lumpur.

“I always loved going to KL, had lots of great experiences there with my previous team,” Hamilton said. “And the track is awesome. And it’s a track that does give good racing. So I very much welcome it, I’m looking forward to it. It’s a super-hot circuit. It’s going to be one that’s physically massively demanding, so I look forward to that challenge.”

Hamilton went further on what the conditions demand of drivers, describing the physical side of the sport as central to what makes it worth watching.

“This is supposed to be the sport that’s the most physically demanding, mentally and physically,” he said. “And there are some that are just so hot, and ultimately you are on the edge. Like Singapore is incredibly hot and demanding. Malaysia will be crazy this year, but that’s where I think you want to see athletes just right at the edge of their performance, having to actually push their bodies further. Because that’s what this sport is about, pushing the levels, and pushing the boundaries.”

Verstappen’s Mixed Feelings About Going Back

Verstappen is the only other past Sepang winner in the field, having triumphed there in 2017 in what turned out to be the circuit’s final race before this weekend’s return. Asked whether he was eager to race there again, the Red Bull driver offered a typically dry response.

“Actually not, because I was actually quite happy that I won the final one there!” Verstappen said. “No, I think it’s a great track. I really enjoy being there. It’s very tough I think just from the heat already, but also degradation will be really tough on the tyres. So yeah, it’s a nice place. So excited to go back and see we can do there.”

A First Look for Norris and the Championship Leader

For the twelve drivers who have never raced at Sepang, the circuit is a genuine unknown, but Lando Norris comes into the weekend with a curious head start. Long before his own F1 career began, he supported McLaren’s simulator program in Malaysian Grands Prix contested by Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne.

“Malaysia, I’m excited for,” Norris said. “It’s one I’ve seen many races on when I was younger, and growing up. And actually, I remember I did sim support for Fernando and Stoffel when they raced there many years ago. So I remember going into the factory at midnight or whatever stupid time it was, and driving till 7am just to support the guys. So it’s not completely new to me, but it’ll be a first time going to the circuit itself, which is exciting.”

Championship leader Kimi Antonelli has no such history to draw on, and approaches Sepang purely as new territory to master under pressure from teammate George Russell, who trails him by 66 points with eight rounds remaining.

“I think it’s always very nice as a driver to discover a new track,” Antonelli said. “I’ve done it on the sim, and it looks like a pretty cool track. Very fast, flowing, long corners, not easy, especially to put the lap together. I think it’s going to be very interesting as well with tyre degradation. We might see two, three stops, because tyre deg is going to be big.

“But another question mark is going to be the weather. I’ve seen the forecast, and it seems to rain pretty heavily at a specific time of the day. So there’s going to be a lot of unknowns. Obviously, it’s going to be very, very hot. It’s going to be a good challenge, and I’m looking forward to it.”

The Other Veterans Who Know the Track

Beyond the headline names, a handful of other drivers arrive with genuine Sepang experience of their own. Sergio Perez raced there for the first time in 2011, the year he made his Formula 1 debut, while Valtteri Bottas and Carlos Sainz both saw the circuit for the first time in 2013 and 2015 respectively, early appearances in careers that have taken very different paths in the years that followed. Esteban Ocon’s solitary Sepang start came in 2016, and both Pierre Gasly and Lance Stroll got their only look at the place in 2017, the same year Verstappen took the chequered flag there for what was, until now, the final time.

That spread of experience means Sepang will feel like a completely different challenge depending on which side of the garage a driver sits in. A driver with no Sepang experience like Kimi Antonelli walks in with nothing but simulator data, while a driver such as Alonso can draw on three race wins and more than a decade of memories, some good and some painful, from three different eras of the sport.

A Weekend Unlike Any Other This Season

Between Alonso’s nostalgia, Hamilton’s ties to Petronas, Verstappen’s history as the track’s last winner, and a championship leader discovering it for the first time, Sepang’s return gives this weekend a different character than the rest of the 2026 calendar. With no fully wet session recorded all season and rain a constant possibility in Malaysia, the circuit’s reputation for chaos gives every driver, whether returning or arriving for the first time, reason to treat Sunday’s race with real respect.

For a sport that has spent recent seasons adding polished new venues built for hospitality suites and Friday night concerts, Sepang’s return offers something different: a circuit built for racing first, with a layout that has aged well for exactly that reason. Whether that produces another classic on Sunday remains to be seen, but few on the grid seem anything less than pleased to find out.

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Written by

Jack Renn

Jack Renn is an editor at F1 Chronicle and a veteran motorsport journalist with 25 years of experience covering Formula 1 and international motorsport. A member of the Association Internationale de la Presse Sportive (AIPS), the global body representing accredited sports journalists, Jack has spent his career reporting from paddocks and press rooms across the F1 calendar. His work spans race analysis, technical insight, and in-depth features, giving readers authoritative coverage grounded in decades of firsthand experience at the highest level of the sport.

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