Haas arrives at Sepang with renewed confidence after scoring points with both cars in Baku, but the Malaysian circuit will provide a completely different test of the team’s recent progress. Extreme heat, high tyre degradation, demanding braking zones and the constant threat of tropical rain make Sepang one of the most challenging venues on the calendar.
The Azerbaijan result gave Haas a welcome boost after several weeks in which the team had shown tangible signs of improvement. Sepang, however, will test whether that progress can translate to a circuit that places very different demands on the car, strategy and drivers.
Sepang heat and rain present Haas with a major challenge
Haas team representative Hoagy Nidd highlighted the wide range of challenges awaiting the teams and drivers as Formula 1 returns to Sepang for the first time since 2017.
“It’s our first visit to Sepang since 2017. It’s an interesting circuit with a good variety of corners; a couple of really high-speed corners, Turns 5 and 6 and Turns 12 and 13. There are also some low-speed corners, so there’s a lot to manage over the course of a lap.”
That variety is one of Sepang’s defining characteristics. The faster sections demand aerodynamic stability, while the slower corners place greater emphasis on traction and mechanical balance. Teams therefore need to find a compromise that works across several very different parts of the lap.
Temperatures add another layer of difficulty.
“The circuit can feature very high track temperatures, among the highest we see all year, and fairly high ambient temperatures.”
Those conditions could make brake and tyre management central themes of the weekend, but heat is not the only uncertainty. Malaysia is renowned for sudden tropical downpours, and rain could dramatically change the competitive picture.
“Almost every day it tends to rain quite heavily in the late afternoon, right around qualifying time, which could present a challenge and keep us on our toes.”
Sepang is therefore the type of circuit where outright car performance matters but may not be enough. Adaptability, reading the conditions correctly and reacting quickly to changing circumstances could prove equally important. A full overview of the venue and weekend can be found in the 2026 Sepang Formula 1 race guide.
Oliver Bearman enters unfamiliar territory at Sepang
For Oliver Bearman, Sepang will be completely new territory. The British driver has never raced at the circuit and had never previously visited Malaysia, but he arrives on the back of a positive result in Azerbaijan.
“I’ve never raced at the Sepang International Circuit and I’d never been to Malaysia, so on Saturday, straight after the race, really happy with the result we achieved in Baku, I immediately got on a plane so I could have time to discover what this country has to offer.”
Oliver Bearman’s first impressions have been positive, although he knows the real examination will begin when he gets behind the wheel.
“Sepang is a flowing, high-speed circuit, where the important thing is to find the right rhythm and let the car flow smoothly from one section to another.”
The circuit rewards precision and continuity, two characteristics Haas has begun to demonstrate with greater consistency during recent race weekends.
Esteban Ocon wants Haas to maintain its Baku momentum
On the other side of the garage, Esteban Ocon is approaching the Malaysian weekend with optimism. The Frenchman views Haas’s double points finish in Baku as a foundation the team can build upon.
“It’s fantastic to come back from Baku with double points for the team, it was a great result for everyone. The goal will be to keep this momentum going this weekend and, of course, for the rest of the season.”
Unlike Oliver Bearman, Esteban Ocon already has experience of Sepang. He is among the drivers still on the Formula 1 grid who competed in the most recent Malaysian Grand Prix in 2017, alongside the likes of Fernando Alonso, Pierre Gasly, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.
“I’m one of 10 drivers on the current grid who last raced at Sepang in 2017, so it will be interesting to drive there again, almost 10 years later.”
That previous experience could prove useful during a weekend in which uncertainty is expected to remain a constant factor and adaptability could matter almost as much as outright speed.
Sepang will show how far Haas has really progressed
Baku showed a Haas that was more effective, more composed and more clinical in converting opportunities into results. Sepang will pose a very different challenge and could provide an even more meaningful indication of the team’s level heading into the closing stages of the season.
With fast direction changes, slow corners, heavy braking demands and unpredictable weather all packed into the same weekend, Haas will need to show that the progress seen in Azerbaijan was not circuit-specific. The Malaysian round also forms part of the revised 2026 Formula 1 calendar, with Sepang returning to the championship schedule after an absence dating back to 2017.
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