F1 at Sepang: Superstition and Past Results Give Ferrari Reason to Smile

Ferrari and its fans are holding their fingers crossed ahead of a world championship race that looks promising for the Scuderia—at least from a superstitious standpoint. Formula 1 is in fact preparing to make its return this coming weekend at the Sepang International Circuit, located not far from Kuala Lumpur. Unlike what happened between 1999 and 2017, however, this will not be the Malaysian Grand Prix. The Asian circuit will instead host the Bahrain Grand Prix, which was forced to leave its traditional location in Sakhir (near Manama) due to the delicate geopolitical situation in the Middle East. But this change in the calendar presents some coincidences that can’t help but inspire a certain optimism among Prancing Horse fans.

In fact, there have only been three other instances in history where a country hosted a Grand Prix that was actually held “abroad”: it happened in 1982, when the Swiss Grand Prix was held in Dijon, France, between 1997 and 1998, when the Nürburgring hosted the Luxembourg Grand Prix; and, of course, the long period between 1981 and 2006 when Imola was the venue for the San Marino Grand Prix. And it was precisely in 2006 that Michael Schumacher secured a historic victory: thus, prior to the upcoming Bahrain Grand Prix, the last “off-site” F1 World Championship race featured a victory by Ferrari itself. And that’s not all: while it’s true that the last driver to win at Sepang was Max Verstappen in 2017, it’s worth noting that Ferrari has racked up a total of seven wins in Malaysia—more than any other team. The same goes for pole positions, which reveal another promising coincidence: the individual record is tied at five between Michael Schumacher, the Maranello legend, and Lewis Hamilton, who drives a Ferrari today. And who knows—perhaps these numbers will be rewritten in 2026, on a track whose characteristics aren’t all that different from those of Silverstone. It’s worth noting that Charles Leclerc triumphed there this year.

However, the situation Ferrari faces as it arrives in Sepang is far from rosy. The Prancing Horse is grappling with a worrying slump: a full five consecutive races without a podium finish, a drought that has inevitably fueled rumors of a possible change at the top of the team. The name of Christian Horner, former Red Bull team principal, has been circulating persistently in recent days, with the Englishman even publicly putting himself forward as a candidate to replace Frederic Vasseur, going so far as to describe Ferrari as “the sleeping giant of F1” in an interview with The Times. Maranello’s response was swift: the team firmly reiterated its confidence in the French manager, emphasizing its determination to shield the team from external rumors and focus exclusively on the remaining races on the calendar.

On a purely technical level, the recent Azerbaijan Grand Prix offered mixed signals. In Baku, Charles Leclerc finished fourth and Lewis Hamilton sixth, with George Russell’s Mercedes dominating from start to finish. The gap that emerged in qualifying caused quite a stir: Russell secured pole position with an eight-tenths advantage over Leclerc—a gap not seen since 2023—which prompted Vasseur himself to point the finger at the FIA: “How is it possible that Mercedes wasn’t identified as having the best engine on the grid? I don’t know—ask the FIA; I’d probably give you a different answer.” An outburst that speaks volumes about the frustrations that have built up at Ferrari in recent weeks.

Against this backdrop, the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang takes on a significance that goes far beyond the mere points up for grabs. For Ferrari, it’s a race they cannot afford to miss, both for sporting reasons and for reasons internal to the team. The world championship standings see Kimi Antonelli firmly in the lead with Mercedes, while Hamilton trails by a considerable margin. Historical coincidences and the Malaysian track’s favorable statistics may fuel optimism, but the track itself will deliver its verdict: and Maranello knows full well that another disappointing result could risk reopening the “Vasseur case” for good, just as the World Championship heads into its final stretch.