F1 Teams And Drivers Have Landed In Malaysia, Revving Up Social Media
Formula One teams and their drivers have made their presence in Malaysia known, and Malaysia is excited for the weekend.
- Mercedes-AMG Petronas, Aston Martin, McLaren, and Red Bull have been sharing Malaysia-themed posts across social media platforms.
- F1 drivers including Antonelli and Gasly were spotted around Malaysia, from a waterpark in Selangor to KLIA's baggage carousel.
- Six F1 drivers held an unofficial karting session, with George Russell topping the leaderboard ahead of the race weekend.
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The 2026 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix is just around the corner, and some big names in Formula One (F1) have made their presence in Malaysia known on all social media platforms.
Starting with the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team, a recent clever post on Threads reflected its acknowledgement that Malaysia will always be home.
A simple WhatsApp screenshot delivered the kind of impact that F1 can give in motorsports:
View on Threads
Meanwhile, teams from across the ocean have also announced their arrival with posts of Malaysia.
The Aston Martin Aramco Formula One team shared a photo gallery of Malaysia’s natural and cultural wonders on Instagram, highlighting famous locales and landmarks like Batu Caves, the Petronas Twin Towers, and even the lively streets of Kuala Lumpur at night.
The caption described Malaysia in one line: “Immersing in Malaysia and all its beauty.”
McLaren also rolled in with a post on Threads featuring a photo of the Lord Murugan statue at Batu Caves.
“We’re backkkk racing this weekend,” the team said in its caption.
View on Threads
The Oracle Red Bull Racing shared a throwback post of Dutch-Belgian racer Max Verstappen playing sepak takraw back when he was competing in the 2016 Malaysian Grand Prix.
Fun fact: Verstappen won the Malaysian Grand Prix when it was last held before the nine-year hiatus, back in 2017.
READ MORE: Moments That Made Sepang One Of Formula 1’s Most Iconic Circuits
F1 drivers steal the spotlight, from KLIA to a waterpark
The arrival of F1’s drivers did not go unnoticed either, as they were spotted around the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), places around the capital city, and even a waterpark.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who competes for Mercedes, was spotted visiting the SplashMania Waterpark at Gamuda Cove in Selangor, on Monday afternoon (28 September).
The 20-year-old F1 driver posted his experience at Splashmania on Facebook, where he zoomed down waterslides to de-stress before zooming down the Sepang Internation Circuit (SIC) this weekend.
Naturally, many Malaysians who spotted him at the park couldn’t resist asking for photos together.
Meanwhile, one Malaysian realised that Alpine team’s driver Pierre Gasly had been in the same plane with her from Doha to Kuala Lumpur after they had gotten off the plane.
The woman and her husband even managed to score a selfie with the French F1 driver at the baggage claim carousel.
“Husband caught up with him at baggage carousel and he was happy to oblige. Welcome back to Sepang @pierregasly, where you debuted many years ago! All the best this weekend,” she said in her post caption.
View on Threads
Six F1 drivers —George Russell, Carlos Sainz, Alex Albon, Oliver Bearman, Gabriel Bortoleto and Oscar Piastri took to the karting track ahead of the race weekend.
Photos of the group went viral on social media as they raced go karts, complete with a leaderboard.
According to the timing sheet from the session, Russell topped the times.
Sainz was down in third, followed by Albon in fourth, Bearman in fifth, Bortoleto in sixth and Piastri in seventh.
But there was a rather surprising name sitting between Russell and Sainz — Roberto Merhi.
Yes, the former F1 driver was listed in second place.
While the F1 paddock gets ready for another serious weekend in Malaysia, it seems a few drivers managed to squeeze in a rather different kind of qualifying session beforehand.
And Russell?
Well, he apparently knows how to get to the front in any qualifying session.
The 2026 Bahrain Gulf Air Grand Prix is happening this weekend from 2 to 4 October 2026 at the Sepang International Circuit.
Expect exciting F1 moments, screaming engines, sweltering heat, and hopefully not thick haze and heavy rain.
READ MORE: Going To The Bahrain Grand Prix At Sepang? Here’s What You Need To Know
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