Malaysia is set to host the rescheduled Bahrain Grand Prix in October at the Sepang International Circuit, sources told ESPN. Bahrain's April race was postponed in March alongside the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix due to the war in Iran. Bahrain had hoped to rearrange its event for Oct. 4 — a free weekend between Azerbaijan and Singapore — but an escalation in hostilities this month made that impossible.

Sepang, which last hosted an F1 race in 2017, will stage the event while Bahrain foots the bill, presenting it as the Bahrain Grand Prix hosted by Malaysia. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is expected to announce the deal Sunday. The war has disrupted F1's 24-race calendar, with four Middle East events at risk. Commercial agreements require a minimum of 22 races, meaning two cancellations would require replacements.

Imola and Portimão are being lined up as potential season finales if Qatar and Abu Dhabi are also cancelled. Imola, home of F1 boss Stefano Domenicali, has emerged as the likely option for a finale that could see Kimi Antonelli become the first Italian champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953. Paddock sources at the Hungarian Grand Prix believe the final two races are unlikely to proceed given the unpredictable conflict.

F1 was prepared to announce Bahrain's Oct. 4 return earlier this month before Iranian missile strikes forced a reversal. The sport has precedent for unusual naming conventions: the Nürburgring ran as the Luxembourg Grand Prix in 1998-99, and Baku's debut was titled the European Grand Prix in 2016.