PlanYourBahrainGrand Prix

I don’t think it’s overstating it to say that Sepang affords some of the best views available at any F1 circuit. Sepang is a circuit where you can follow a battle for more than a fleeting glimpse. Broad views, long straights and corners that invite a late move on the brakes make it a rewarding place to watch Formula 1. The harder decision is which part of the action you want in front of you.

For the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia on 2–4 October 2026, I’d put K1 first for racing action, Main Grandstand North for the pits and grid, and Main Grandstand South’s upper tier for a wider track view. F is another strong option if you prefer corners to pit stops. Here’s how the choices compare.

K1 puts the opening corners at the centre of your weekend. The long run into Turn 1 gives drivers a chance to attack, and a move that starts under braking can continue through the next sequence. It’s my first choice if watching cars race each other matters more to you than seeing the garages.

Divided into blocks from A starting at the right side to R on the left side of the stand. Seats to the left or right of the stand fair better, with the middle being limited to turn 1 and the entry of turn 2 but the downwards gradient of this part of the track and a thoughtlessly placed advertising board serve to block any more of turn 2. Turn 3 is then impeded by the end section of the grandstand.

The right of the stand won’t disappoint, providing views of turn one immediately in front of the stand; a view up the start-finish straight, including the grid and pitlane exit in the middle distance; and in the far distance, a view to the left of the short straight leading to turn 4, and to the right, a part of the race-track over the other side of the main grandstand toward the end of the lap can be seen albeit quite far away.

The left side of the stand has a view that stretches all the way up the short straight to the turn in of turn 4, and about the best view of turns 1 to 3 on the whole, so you’ll get to see over takes and re-over takes play out between about the pitlane exit to T4. The grid is out of sight but who needs it with a view like that.

The trade-off: K1 is about the opening corners. Choose Main Grandstand North if close views of pit stops and the pre-race grid are your priority.

Sepang’s enormous V-shaped Main Grandstand has two sides. North faces the pits and start/finish straight; South faces the back straight and the approach to the final hairpin. Both have upper and lower tiers, with the Tower section at the point of the V.

In the area between the stands, the Mall area contains most of the food and drinks vendors as well as the washrooms and makes for an enjoyable spot to while away the time between track sessions.

North is the place for the preparations on the grid, the pit stops and the start/finish spectacle. If you enjoy watching the mechanics as much as the drivers, this is the side to choose.

The central sections are the most straightforward choice for the pits and grid. Moving towards either end trades some of that close-up focus for an angled view of another part of the lap. The first-corner end doesn’t replace K1’s view of the opening sequence.

The trade-off: cars pass quickly on the straight, and the pit building limits what you can see beyond it. A good view of the race-day ceremony is not the same as a broad view of the racing.

The upper South tier, historically called Topaz, was one of the strongest all-round views on our earlier visits. Spectators can follow the racing as the cars enter from the left of your field of vision, breaking into Berjaya Tioman Corner just in front of the hillstand.

From here watch them accelerate up to and around a series of medium speed turns that make up the final sector of the lap, to the point where they join the long straight directly in front of the grandstand and continue to the hairpin, where overtakes are common.

The extra height helps you see over the catch fencing compared with the lower South tier, historically Citrine. It also makes the wider circuit easier to follow. Some of that distant view was interrupted by support-race buildings, so don’t read “panoramic” as “everything visible”.

The trade-off: you’re facing away from the pits and grid. Don’t buy a South seat expecting North’s view, or assume you can swap sides whenever you like.

Modeled on the hibiscus flower the Tower Grandstand is an iconic grandstand at Sepang but unfortunately that doesn’t always translate into great views.

It is arguably the best spot for good close up photographs of the cars as they slow right down for the hairpin; being at the apex and capturing some nice shots make the stand worth a visit. You can also observe the cars on a section of the infield of the track from here though it is by far not the best vantage point from which to do so.

Overall not worth the ticket price for 3 days in this stand, but worth checking out if you get a chance during one of the Friday sessions.

Grandstand F: boring by name, anything but boring by nature, this area offers an exceptional view from the centre of the stand. It almost feels like you can see the entire circuit from this vantage point.

You can’t of course but you can see a vast amount, as cars enter from the Genting Curve to the right of the grandstand and sweep in front of you and away from the stand towards the Berjaya Tioman Corner.

Situated essentially on the outside of the hairpin, opposite the tower grandstand, from the centre stand you can easily see down the length of both the main and back straight either side of the main grandstands.

To the sides of the grandstand the views lack the wow factor but are still wonderful views of fast sweeping sections of the track and either the entry or exit of the hairpin.

The trade-off: negatives are few and far between, but you will be a long way from the Mall area where most of the refreshments are found. On race day you’ll also have to miss out on the podium celebrations and track invasion, which are not easily accessed from here. 

The hillstands offer a different sort of weekend: a grassy viewing area rather than an individual grandstand seat. You trade the certainty and comfort of a seat for the chance to choose a position within your ticketed area. In Sepang’s heat and rain, that is a meaningful compromise.

Arrive early enough to find a view you’re happy with. A higher patch of ground can help, but other spectators still affect the view.

B overlooks the later part of the lap, particularly Turns 12–14. The elevated ground gives you a broader perspective than a flat viewing area, with several corners to follow rather than a single point where the cars flash past.

Choose it for: a grassy, multi-corner view.

The compromise: no reserved seat or roof, and no close view of the pit activity. Pack for a day outdoors rather than the comfort of a covered grandstand.

C looks across the middle sector around Turns 9–11, with the extent of the view depending on where you stand. It’s an appealing option if you want to follow the cars through a sequence of corners.

There is a small covered section towards the top, but C as a whole is not a covered grandstand. Don’t assume a generic C ticket guarantees access to that section or a sheltered position. Check any block or enclosure restriction printed on your ticket.

The compromise: you’re still choosing a place on a grass bank rather than an allocated seat. If shelter is a deciding factor, one of the covered grandstands is the more dependable choice.

G is the lowest-priced three-day option at RM200, and is restricted to MyKad holders. It is an open grass viewing area, not a discounted seat in one of the grandstands. It makes sense to consider G if you qualify and keeping the cost down comes first.