FIA make late Sepang change after unusual circuit mistake

The FIA has made a late change to the starting grid at Sepang International Circuit after pole position was mistakenly painted on the wrong side of the track ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.

Pole had initially been marked on the left-hand side of the start-finish straight, putting it on the outside of the circuit rather than its traditional position on the right.

The error was discovered during preparations for this weekend's Formula 1 return to track on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur.

The mistake was understood to have resulted from a miscommunication in the documentation supplied to the circuit. Sepang's track workers followed the instructions they had been given, only for the FIA to identify the discrepancy during its checks.

When race control arrived at the circuit, officials reviewed the grid markings and recognised that pole had been positioned incorrectly.

The FIA subsequently instructed the venue to restore the grid to its historical configuration, with pole on the right-hand side.

The original markings were covered, and the grid was repainted, with the position previously designated as second becoming the new pole slot and the remaining positions renumbered accordingly.

The correction also required an adjustment to the start line. The incorrectly positioned pole slot had been ahead of the original line, creating a potential issue with the distance between the line and the first grid position and with the timing system. The line was therefore moved as part of the remedial work.

The changes were completed on Thursday, with Sepang subsequently passing its circuit inspection ahead of the weekend's running.

The unusual error comes as Formula 1 returns to Sepang for the first time since 2017, with the Malaysian circuit stepping in to host this weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix.