How to follow Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia on the BBC

How to follow Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia on the BBCImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, The last race held in Malaysia was in 2017, with Max Verstappen taking his second Formula 1 victoryBySophie TrifonoffBBC Sport journalistRound 16 of the 2026 Formula 1 season heads to Malaysia for the Bahrain Grand Prix, from 2-4 October.George Russell won his first grand prix since June in Azerbaijan, leading from the start to finish.His Mercedes team-mate and championship leader Kimi Antonelli finished fifth after starting 16th on the grid because of a mistake in qualifying.Russell was joined on the podium by Red Bull duo Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar.The Bahrain Grand Prix was originally postponed in March, a month before it was due to take place. F1 has added it back on to the calendar with Malaysia holding the race on its behalf.Lights out for Sunday's 56-lap grand prix will be at 08:00 BST.The Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix were initially scheduled for April but were called off in March as a result of the war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran.The arrangement to stage this race between Bahrain and Malaysia was heavily influenced by Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa.Despite being held in Malaysia, Bahrain have retained the naming rights for the event, which is officially known as the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.Session start times and BBC coverageCommentary of the race will be available across BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport website and app.You can also ask your smart speaker to 'Play 5 Live', for example.Make sure to listen to every episode of the Chequered Flag podcast. For the first time this year, the post-race show for every grand prix is available to watch on BBC iPlayer and YouTube., externalAll times BSTFriday, 2 OctoberFirst practice: 05:30-06:30 (BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and via BBC Sounds and smart speakers)Second practice: 09:00-10:00 (BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and via BBC Sounds and smart speakers)Saturday, 3 OctoberThird practice: 05:30-06:30 (BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and via BBC Sounds and smart speakers)Qualifying: 09:00-10:00 (BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and via BBC Sounds and smart speakers)Sunday, 4 OctoberRace: 08:00 with build-up from 07:45 (BBC Radio 5 Live and via BBC Sounds and smart speakers)Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Race winner Max Verstappen was joined on the podium by Lewis Hamilton and his Red Bull team-mate Daniel Ricciardo in Malaysia in 2017 What is the Sepang weather forecast?The early forecast suggests it will be a stormy weekend in Malaysia.All five sessions could be hit by thundery showers, with temperatures reaching a high of 33C. More on this story