Bahrain GP in Malaysia: These curious double records are possible

This weekend, Formula 1 will see a unique combination of circuits: the Bahrain Grand Prix will take place in Malaysia at the Sepang International Circuit near Kuala Lumpur. The Bahrain Grand Prix had actually been scheduled for April in Sakhir at the Bahrain International Circuit – but due to the situation in the Middle East, it is now being rescheduled far from the Kingdom on the Persian Gulf.

Formula 1 raced at Sepang up to and including 2017 – so the circuit is still very familiar to the sport’s veterans, such as Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, even though the Formula 1 cars have, of course, changed radically since then and the track conditions are likely to have altered slightly. The unusual combination of a Bahrain Grand Prix on the Kuala Lumpur circuit opens up the possibility of some curious double records for the seasoned F1 drivers. Let’s take a look at what might theoretically be possible.

Scenario 1: Pole for Lewis Hamilton

Firstly, it would be Lewis Hamilton’s first (Grand Prix!) pole position with Ferrari. Should it happen, this pole would mark a special double record: namely, Hamilton’s sixth at Sepang (he currently holds the record with five poles, shared with Michael Schumacher). And his fourth at a Bahrain Grand Prix (currently a record shared with Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel, with three pole positions each). A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur had suggested that Sepang might suit Ferrari better than Baku.

Scenario 2: Ferrari victory

Ferrari has seven wins at Sepang to date (a record ahead of Red Bull Racing’s five), and the same number at the Bahrain Grand Prix. A win this weekend would therefore extend both records. A Hamilton victory would also extend his personal Bahrain Grand Prix record from five to six.

A few other notable milestones could be beaten or equalled without the need to revise the history books for Bahrain and Malaysia: the youngest pole-setter in Malaysia is currently Fernando Alonso, aged 21 years and 7 months. The 20-year-old Kimi Antonelli could beat that. The youngest race winner at Sepang remains definitively Max Verstappen (in 2017, aged 20 years and one day).

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Max Verstappen could become the sole record-holder at the Bahrain Grand Prix with another pole position (currently, as mentioned above, on three pole positions and level with Vettel and Hamilton). Charles Leclerc could draw level with the three record-holders in the Bahrain Grand Prix statistics with another pole position.

Another record, however – given Aston Martin’s performance – is likely to remain nothing more than a pipe dream: a win in Kuala Lumpur would see Alonso draw level with Sepang’s record winner, Vettel (4 wins).