Malaysia was aflush with Formula One fever this weekend, rekindling talk of permanently bringing the race back to the Southeast Asian nation after a long hiatus – despite days of traffic chaos that left thousands of fans stranded for hours.
More than 260,000 people flocked to Sepang International Circuit in Selangor state for the Bahrain Grand Prix, which was originally meant to be held in April but had to be postponed and relocated away from the Persian Gulf island nation due to security concerns arising from the US–Israel war on Iran.
It marked the first time since 2017 that Malaysia and the punishingly technical track at Sepang had hosted a Formula One race.
And Sepang delivered drama in spades, with Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen earning his first win of the season as teams scrambled to adapt their strategies after a sudden deluge. The downpour triggered widespread technical failures and tyre-choice headaches on a track that transitioned from wet to dry.