FIA confirm Bahrain Grand Prix DELAYED as rain and lightning strike in Malaysia

The FIA has confirmed that the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia has been officially delayed as rain and lightning strike at Sepang International Circuit.

There has been a risk of these conditions throughout the weekend in Malaysia, but until now, F1 has been very lucky, managing to avoid any delays.

That is no longer the case, and as a result, the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix is now on hold, having been scheduled to get underway at 15:00 local time (08:00 BST).

At this time, there is no new race start time, with the FIA set to provide further updates as the situation unfolds.

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FIA delays start at Bahrain Grand Prix

As of 15:00 local time, rain continues to lash the circuit in Sepang, with teams and their drivers inside their garages and patiently waiting for further updates from the FIA.

Speaking on the Sky Sports F1 broadcast, Anthony Davidson believes that the water pooled on the track will be the biggest problem once the rain actually stops.

“The biggest issue here is the rivers around this track. You can’t start with this level of rain intensity," he said. “It just bubbled up.”

“We are going into uncharted territory," he later added. "We have not seen these 2026 cars run in wet conditions.

"The systems don't like the rain. They want to be driven the same every lap. The hybrid system will be stressed and that will stress the team."

Latest FIA update

The latest statement from the FIA is as follows: "Rain intensity have been steady for the last 10 mins and no improvement is forecast for the next 5/10 mins.

"Medical car going on track shortly to report on track conditions."

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