Russell and Antonelli face off at Sepang as Verstappen says title needs a 'big turnaround'

F1 returns to Sepang for the first time since 2017, with Mercedes teammates Russell and Antonelli racing each other for the championship.

• Formula 1 has returned to Sepang, staging the "Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia" as the one-off replacement for the Bahrain race cancelled earlier this year.
• Antonelli leads Russell by 66 points with eight rounds remaining, after Russell dominated the Azerbaijan round a week earlier.
• Verstappen told the Press Association Russell needs a "big turnaround" to stop Antonelli from winning the championship.
• Mercedes principal Toto Wolff said the team comes first but both drivers have equal opportunity to race for the title.