You Cannot Watch F1 From The Roadside At Sepang, PMX Said Watch RTM Instead
The fastest cars in the world will pass through Sepang this weekend. Anyone caught standing on the roadside to catch a glimpse will be removed by police — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has announced RTM as the official alternative.
- Police checkpoints on roads surrounding Sepang are turning away anyone without valid tickets, banning roadside spectating entirely.
- No motorcycle parking exists at the circuit; riders must park at transit hubs and queue for free shuttle buses.
- PM Anwar confirmed RTM will broadcast the full race weekend live and free via TV Okey, RTMKlik, and Astro.
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Formula 1 arrived at Sepang International Circuit today (2 Oct), and the Royal Malaysia Police made one thing clear: the roads surrounding the circuit are not a viewing gallery.
The PDRM has established five vehicle screening checkpoints on major access routes, including Jalan Pekeliling, the Masjid Roundabout, and the Enstek traffic lights.
Every vehicle requires a valid grandstand ticket, paddock pass, or official access sticker to proceed.
Anyone without one is turned back.
Stopping, parking, or standing along surrounding roads is prohibited.
From certain elevated points along the public roads, the circuit is visible — the Jalur Gemilang painted across the hillside banking can be seen clearly from outside the perimeter.
But police checkpoints are positioned to prevent anyone stopping to watch, and authorities have been actively removing spectators from roadside positions throughout the day.
Getting In Is The Hard Part: Parking, Checkpoints, And The Shuttle Queue
For Malaysian motorcyclists who made the trip anyway, there is no motorcycle parking at the circuit this weekend.
The ban is deliberate — the circuit’s CEO stated that unrestricted motorcycle access during mega motorsport events was historically the primary cause of gridlock across the venue’s 27-year history.
Riders are blocked at the external checkpoints and directed to park at transit hubs like Mitsui Outlet Park or the KLIA Long Term Car Park, then board free Rapid KL shuttle buses to the gates.
Long snaking queues have already been reported at KLIA2 for those shuttle buses on Friday afternoon.
Car parking exists inside the grounds — around 9,000 bays across 17 lots — but only for those who pre-purchased a valid parking pass or sticker.
There is no on-site purchase option.
Heat, Storms, And Gridlock: What The Race Weekend Actually Looks Like
Track conditions at Sepang midweek were recorded at 34 degrees Celsius with almost no wind.
On Friday, the approach roads told a different story — journeys that normally take one hour stretched to two and a half, with long queues reported at KLIA2 for shuttle buses heading to the circuit.
Afternoon tropical storms are forecast for Friday and Sunday, which Illman noted could heavily impact the race schedule.
Formula 1 officials have designated Sepang a heat-hazard circuit, requiring teams to fit driver cooling systems — the third race of the 2026 season to receive that classification after Austria and Italy.
Four-time world champion Max Verstappen, asked about the heat, said his preparation consisted of what he described as deep mental preparation of not giving an F.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced that Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) will carry the full race weekend live and free on TV Okey — MYTV Channel 110 and Astro Channel 146 — and via the RTMKlik website and mobile application.
The race is named the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.
The Falcon Is The National Bird Of Bahrain, It Is Also At Sepang This Weekend
The race took 10 weeks to put together.
The Bahrain International Circuit team normally requires ten months to stage a Grand Prix.
Following an emergency relocation to Sepang, over 560 Bahraini marshals and 100 officials flew in to work alongside Malaysian teams within that compressed window, according to F1 photographer and media personality Kym Illman.
The Bahrain presence extends well beyond the marshals.
Inside the circuit, a dedicated Bahrain Village has been constructed in the public areas — featuring a replica souq, Bahraini cuisine, traditional handicrafts, cultural music, and live falconry displays.
Trained hunting birds brought in by specialist handlers can be seen up close; attendees can have a falcon perch on their arm for photographs.
The falcon is the national bird of Bahrain and the central icon on the Gulf Air logo, the race’s title sponsor.
Gulf Air jets have been conducting flyovers above the circuit. Rose water is planned for the podium celebration.
All of it — the souq, the falcons, the flyovers, the rose water — is to maintain the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix branding at a circuit in Selangor.
READ MORE: Malaysians Test Their Fortitude As Queues To Get Into Sepang Begin
READ MORE: A Teenager Replaced Lewis Hamilton, Won Eight Races This Year, And Now He Is In KL
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