Start of Malaysian F1 race delayed by huge downpour
The 2026 Formula 1 Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang faced a significant delay due to torrential rain and track conditions. Drivers and teams are preparing for a challenging race as they navigate new 2026 technical regulations in wet weather for the first time.
Why it matters
This event serves as a critical test for the new 2026 F1 technical regulations and tire performance under adverse weather conditions.
Formula 1 Start of Malaysian F1 race delayed by huge downpour Josh Suttill 04 Oct 2026 — 1 min read The start of Formula 1’s Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia was delayed by torrential rain.
Rain began to fall 45 minutes before the scheduled start of F1’s first race at Sepang in nine years, intensifying to completely soak the track and the assembled teams and drivers on the starting grid.
The race start was inevitably delayed due to far too much standing water on the track for the race to begin. There was also thunder and lightning in the distance.
The medical car completed laps of the track around the time of the initial planned start time and quickly reported the track conditions weren't suitable for racing.
The 10-minute signal was issued half an hour after the initial start time, with the formation lap scheduled for 4.40pm local time.
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19 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
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