F1 spectators attending the opening practice sessions of the 2026 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit expressed widespread frustration on Friday over severe transport delays, disorganized queueing systems, and limited water access.
Attendees turned to social media platforms, including Reddit and Instagram, to criticize the lack of signage and crowd control at shuttle pickup points, reporting that thousands of fans were left stranded for hours post-track action without clear guidance from organizers.
The transport bottlenecks left crowds waiting past 8:00 PM, with some fans opting to walk along the highway shoulder all the way to KLIA 2 rather than wait for the overwhelmed shuttle buses. While fans urged event organizers to address the operational chaos ahead of Saturday’s qualifying and Sunday’s race, title sponsor Petronas previously clarified that despite holding naming rights to the circuit, it is not responsible for event operations.
Additionally, the F1 Speed account on X claimed that many spectators had passed out, shuttle lines were disorganized, and most water stations were not working.
Nicholsonstreet, a Reddit member, criticized the lengthy lines for food and water, the absence of free water refill stations, the inadequate signs and communication, and the disorganized bus schedules.
Additionally, the customer said that the trip from the circuit to the KLIA rail station took three hours, as opposed to the expected twenty minutes under typical circumstances.
“Very disappointing. The netizen remarked, “After witnessing the disorganized chaos today, I hope the organizers can fix this for the rest of the weekend.”
The Malaysian Grand Prix was held at SIC from 1999 to 2017 until being dropped from the schedule because to growing hosting and licensing expenses.
