F1 drivers train, relax in Langkawi before Malaysia GP
NXTbets Pro | Published On: October 1, 2026
Langkawi stopover
Several Formula 1 drivers have turned a travel break into a shared training trip in Langkawi, a Malaysian island resort where they have mixed work and downtime before racing resumes. Carlos Sainz, Alex Albon, George Russell, Oscar Piastri, Gabriel Bortoleto, Oliver Bearman and former F1 driver Roberto Merhi have all taken part. Lando Norris has joined the group for chess and training, but he has not gone karting. The stop has come together after drivers traveling from Baku to Malaysia decided to pause in Langkawi instead of flying straight to Kuala Lumpur. That has left them with a rare chance to spend time together before a demanding stretch in Malaysia and Singapore. The group has cycled, trained, played chess and karted during the break. Russell said Petronas recommended the visit. He called Langkawi “incredible” and said it was the perfect way to prepare for the weekend.
Langkawi hikes
The trip has also taken the drivers away from the resort. They have visited a waterfall and hiked rocky trails in Langkawi, adding an outdoor piece to a stop that started as a change in travel plans and has become a full break from the usual race-week routine. The island setting has given the group room to reset. The drivers can train, move around and still step away from the pace that comes with the Formula 1 calendar. Several of them have described the outing as a rare chance to relax together before the physically demanding races ahead in Malaysia and Singapore. That matters in a sport where the travel schedule can leave little space for shared downtime. The Langkawi stop has given Sainz, Albon, Russell, Piastri, Bortoleto, Bearman and Merhi a different kind of preparation, one built around exercise, conversation and recovery as much as competition. Norris has stayed involved in the chess and training side of the trip, which has kept him close to the group even without the karting session. The setting and the pace have made the break feel different from a normal stop between races.
Karting chaos
The karting session has brought the sharpest action on the trip. Russell called it “carnage,” and the day has produced the kind of close-quarters incidents that can turn a casual outing into a proper race in miniature. Bortoleto has been bruised during the session. Piastri has nearly broken a rib. Bearman has put Merhi into a wall. Those moments have given the stop its edge and shown how quickly a relaxed training day can become physical when Formula 1 drivers start racing each other in karts. Norris has stayed with the group for chess and training, but he has passed on the karting itself. The rest of the outing has kept a looser feel, built around cycling, hiking and time at the resort, but the karting has added the most memorable flash of intensity. The trip may also have been filmed for upcoming media projects, which gives the Langkawi stop another layer beyond simple downtime. It has been a useful pause before the next run of races, and Russell’s view captures the tone best. The island is “incredible,” and the stop gives the group a chance to reset together before getting back to the demands of the season.
