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The 2026 Formula 1 calendar has lined up back-to-back race weekends in or near the two cities with the most polluted air on the planet. The venues in question are Kuala Lumpur—near the Sepang circuit, which hosted last week's Grand Prix—and Singapore, where F1 stars are racing through the streets this weekend.
According to the Air Quality Index (AQI), the air quality in both Kuala Lumpur and Singapore falls into the second-worst category: "very unhealthy." On the AQI scale, higher readings correspond to greater health risks for the population.
The safest air quality sits in the 0 to 50 range, while the most severe is between 300 and 500 points, categorized as "hazardous," where pollution poses a risk to the entire population across the city and surrounding areas.
Both Kuala Lumpur and Singapore fall into the "very unhealthy" bracket (201 to 300 points), with Kuala Lumpur ranking worst in the world with a score of 222, and Singapore second with 212.
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