F1 analysis: Bahrain GP in Malaysia - Five talking points including Russell, Antonelli and Verstappen

Formula 1 is heading back to Malaysia this weekend for what should be a really interesting Bahrain Grand Prix. 

The race will take place at the Sepang International Circuit, which has not hosted an F1 race since 2017.

There are already quite a few things to look forward to, especially with the championship battle getting closer and the unpredictable Malaysian weather potentially playing a part.

George Russell is coming off a big win in Azerbaijan, while his Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli is still leading the Drivers' Championship. 

Max Verstappen is also looking for his first win of the season.

Here, Sports News Blitz’s Elliot Desage looks at five things to look out for this weekend.

Can George Russell win again?

George Russell will be feeling confident after winning the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

He had a brilliant weekend in Baku, taking pole position and then going on to win the race. 

It was his third win of the season and it also helped him close the gap to his Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli in the championship.

Russell is now 66 points behind Antonelli, so there is still a big gap, but another win could make things even more interesting as the season draws closer to the end.

One thing that makes this weekend different is that Russell has never driven an F1 car around Sepang before.

He has said that he knows the track well from playing it on video games, but obviously that is very different from actually driving around it in a Formula 1 car.

Antonelli needs a strong weekend

Kimi Antonelli is still leading the championship, but his advantage has been getting smaller.

His weekend in Azerbaijan was not ideal after he crashed during qualifying. 

However, he managed to recover and finish fifth, which was still a decent result considering where he started.

Now he will be hoping for a better weekend in Malaysia.

Antonelli has also never raced at Sepang in Formula 1, so he will have to learn the track quickly during practice.

The championship is getting more competitive, and another difficult weekend could allow Russell to close the gap even further.

Sepang is back

Probably the biggest talking point is simply the return of Sepang.

Formula 1 has not raced in Malaysia since 2017, when Verstappen won the last Malaysian Grand Prix.

A lot has changed since then. The cars are completely different, and most of the current drivers have never raced at the circuit in Formula 1.

This means that the practice sessions could be really important.

The teams will have to work out how their cars perform around the track and how they can manage the tyres. 

Sepang has long straights, fast corners and some slower sections, so finding the right set-up will not be easy.

It could also mean that some drivers who have more experience of the track have an advantage.

The weather could cause problems

If you have watched races at Sepang before, you will know that the weather can be a big problem.

Malaysia is known for being hot and humid, but heavy rain and thunderstorms are also possible.

This could make things much more interesting.

If it starts raining during qualifying or the race, teams will have to make quick decisions about which tyres to use. Getting that decision wrong could cost a driver a lot of positions.

Even if it stays dry, the heat could cause problems for the tyres. 

Sepang is known for being quite tough on tyres, so drivers will need to be careful not to use them up too quickly.

It could make strategy one of the most important parts of the race.

Can Verstappen finally win?

Max Verstappen is another driver with plenty to prove this weekend.

The Red Bull driver has had seven podium finishes this season but is still waiting for his first victory.

He came close in Azerbaijan, finishing second behind Russell, so he will be hoping that Malaysia can finally be the place where he gets his first win of 2026.

Verstappen also has experience at Sepang, having won the last Malaysian Grand Prix in 2017.

That could be useful because many of his rivals have never raced there before.

Red Bull will also be hoping that the car works well around the circuit. If it does, Verstappen could be one of the drivers fighting at the front.

What can we expect from Malaysia?

There are a lot of questions going into this weekend.

Will Russell win again? Can Antonelli increase his championship lead? Will Verstappen finally get his first victory of the season?

Then there is the weather and the fact that Formula 1 is returning to a circuit that has not been used for nine years.

All of these things make the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia a really interesting race to watch.

Sepang is back, and hopefully it gives us an exciting weekend of Formula 1.

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