Sepang F1 Returns October 2, and Desaru Is the Bridge
Formula 1 is coming back to Malaysia. After eight years away, the Sepang International Circuit will host a grand prix from 2 to 4 October 2026, its first race weekend at the track since 2017. Formula 1 and the FIA confirmed the return as part of the 2026 calendar.
The race arrives in unusual circumstances. This round was moved out of the Middle East over regional security concerns, and Sepang stepped in on short notice, which is why the weekend keeps its original title: the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. For fans across the region it lands at a rare moment, because the Singapore Grand Prix follows the very next week. Early October becomes a back to back Southeast Asian swing, two grands prix within easy reach of each other.
That gap between the two race weekends is the interesting part for anyone planning the trip. Instead of sitting in city traffic for a week, there is time to slip down to Malaysia's southeastern coast and still stay within easy reach of both circuits.
A quiet week between two loud weekends
Anantara Desaru Coast Resort and Villas sits along 17 kilometres of shoreline in Johor. It is built for the slower half of a motorsport fortnight: beachfront dining, restorative spa rituals, and the kind of service that comes with a dedicated villa host or a private butler. After the noise of a race weekend, a stretch of unspoiled beach is a fair reward.
For travellers who want more than a single stay, the resort sits beside the Anantara Desaru Coast Residences, described as Malaysia's first and only beachfront branded residences. The homes are designed around natural light, sea breezes and the indoor to outdoor living that the coast invites.
Getting there between races
Desaru is quieter than the cities on either side of it, but it is not hard to reach. From Singapore, it is about a 90 minute ferry from the Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal, or a 90 minute drive across the Woodlands Checkpoint. Changi Airport is roughly two hours away, while Senai International Airport, serving Johor Bahru and southern Peninsular Malaysia, is about an hour by road. All of that keeps both Sepang and the Singapore circuit within a manageable day's travel.
The coast has been adding reasons to visit beyond the beach. Desaru Coast is building a karting circuit and racquet club due to open by the end of the year, and it recently hosted the WAGC World Final. For one week in October, the pull will be simpler: a calm base between the loudest sporting weekend Malaysia has seen in years and the one that follows it across the causeway.
Cover photo: Morio, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
