What time will the Bahrain Grand Prix start? Weather forecast after race delayed by heavy rain

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The 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix - taking place in Malaysia - has been delayed by heavy rain this morning.

The race was due to get under way at 8am BST, only for the Sepang International Circuit to be soaked by an unrelenting downpour.

However, some blue skies have finally appeared and the formation lap has now been scheduled for 8:40am BST, after which the grand prix will finally begin with George Russell on pole position, though the wet track and any further rain has the potential to cause chaos.

Russell has a big chance to trim his Mercedes team-mate’s 66-point lead in the F1 Drivers’ Standings at the Sepang track in Malaysia, where this race will take place.

At the Azerbaijan Grand Prix last weekend, Russell claimed an important victory over his colleague, with Max Verstappen and Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar completing the podium.

Antonelli had crashed out by hitting the wall in the first session of qualifying in Baku, leaving him in 16th position on the starting grid.

Russell will be hoping for another pole position here, which would help him on his way to a fifth victory of the year.

The 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix takes place today on Sunday, October 4 at the Sepang International Circuit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The race was due to start at 8am BST - 3pm local time - on Sunday, only for rain to delay proceedings. A new formation lap has been scheduled for 8:40am BST, after which the grand prix should get under way.

The original Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Grand Prix weekends were cancelled at the start of the year as a result of the US and Israel’s invasion of Iran in February.

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As a result, the Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa was able to negoiate a deal that would revive the event, and as such, it will go ahead in Malaysia.

Geographically, a return to Sepang after a nine-year hiatus makes sense, with the drivers able to travel via Malaysia from Baku for the Sinagpore Grand Prix, which follows this race.

TV channel: In the UK, the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix is available to watch live on Sky Sports. The main build-up starts at 6.30am BST on Sunday, with the race itself from 8am.

Coverage is also available throughout via Sky Sports Main Event.

Live stream: Sky Sports subscribers can also catch the action live online through the Sky Go app.

There should not be risk of further deals in Sepang, where the weather should now brighten up with high temperatures of 32 degrees that will feel more like 39 with the extreme humidity. Plenty of cloud will remain.

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