2026 Bahrain GP in Malaysia track map will feature two Straight Mode zones

Formula 1’s 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix will take place at Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia from 2–4 October, rather than at Sakhir on the original April date. The Sakhir race was cancelled amid the conflict in the Middle East. The event’s official name is the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.

Sepang’s two long straights run alongside one another, joined by the tight Turn 15 hairpin. That layout puts heavy braking zones at the end of long acceleration runs, a combination that can give pursuing drivers an opportunity to close in and challenge.

The map draws the first of the two Sepang Straight Mode zones in red dotted lines along the start-finish straight, running from Turn 15 towards Turns 1 and 2. The second is marked along the back straight as it leads towards Turn 15.

Straight Mode changes a car’s aerodynamic configuration to reduce drag and improve efficiency as it accelerates. These red-marked stretches are therefore the designated zones for that mode; they are not the Overtake Mode eligibility markers.

The map places the green Overtake Mode detection point on the approach to Turn 15. Its green activation marker sits just beyond the hairpin exit, where cars begin accelerating onto the next straight. The detection point determines whether a driver can use Overtake Mode; the activation marker identifies where that extra mode can be deployed.

Under the 2026 rules, a driver must be within one second of the car ahead at the detection point to qualify. The extra electrical deployment is available on the following lap, including an additional +0.5 MJ of energy and a power profile that can help sustain higher speed for longer. Formula 1 says the boost is most effective on longer straights.

That makes the map’s placement significant: a close gap measured before Turn 15 could set up extra electrical assistance on the run out of the hairpin. Combined with the two long Straight Mode zones and braking areas at Turns 1 and 15, Sepang’s layout may create multiple chances for drivers to attack—though a successful pass will still depend on the racing situation.