Sepang’s plan to rejoin the Formula 1 calendar faces challenges from previous mistakes. Malaysia’s Sepang Circuit aims to return to the Formula 1 calendar.

The CEO of the Sepang Circuit admits a serious error that could make returning to the Formula 1 calendar extremely difficult

Malaysia has not hosted a Formula 1 Grand Prix since 2017. The historic Sepang International Circuit has expressed interest in returning to the F1 calendar, but current conditions make such a comeback extremely challenging. The intention of Azhan Shafriman Hanif, the CEO of the Sepang track, is to bring Formula 1 back to Malaysia, but a significant mistake made in the past could prove costly.

The Malaysian Grand Prix continues to feature in the MotoGP calendar, and the lessons learned from Formula 1 could be useful for the two-wheeled championship as well. The track, located just outside Kuala Lumpur, made its debut in the Formula 1 World Championship in 1999 and remained a regular fixture until 2017.

The most successful driver at Sepang is Sebastian Vettel, who claimed four victories at the circuit. Perhaps the most memorable of these wins was in 2015, when he returned Ferrari to the top step of the podium after a long period without a victory. The last driver to win in Malaysia was Max Verstappen, while Lewis Hamilton managed to cross the finish line first only once. Many fans vividly remember his Mercedes Power Unit failure in 2016, which likely cost him the World Championship that year.

Acknowledging the serious past mistake
The CEO of the Sepang Circuit, Azhan Shafriman Hanif, highlighted why returning to the F1 calendar is so complicated. Competition has intensified significantly, and global interest in the sport has grown, leading to much higher organizational costs.

“We let Formula 1 go, and we don’t want to make the same mistake with MotoGP. There is a waiting list to return, and obviously, the costs are very high. We were asked for 70 million dollars for each event. This does not include our setup costs, which range between 2.3 and 4.7 million dollars.”

“There are also various stakeholders who want Formula 1 to return, both from the government and the corporate sector. We have to look at how Singapore manages to host its Grand Prix. They have full support to make it a success, from ministries to businesses and hotels. It must be the same here,” Azhan explained, emphasizing the country’s willingness and ambition to host a top-tier motorsport event once again.