Sepang racing circuit CEO regrets decision to drop F1 race, says M'sia must learn from S'pore

The CEO of the Sepang International Circuit has expressed regret at Malaysia’s decision to give up its iconic Formula One race.

Mistakes of the past

Sepang International Circuit (SIC) CEO Azhan Shafriman Hanif said that the circuit should not “repeat the mistakes of the past", as quoted by the New Straits Times.

“We let Formula One go and now it is very hard to get it back,” he said.

“I hope we don’t make the same mistake with MotoGP”, he warned, referencing the premier motorcycle racing series, which SIC has hosted since 1999.

But the cost to return F1 to Malaysia would be prohibitive, as the racing series’ owners, Liberty Media, have quoted SIC US$70 million (S$89.74 million) to host the race.

Not only that, Malaysia is now far from the only country seeking a spot on F1’s increasingly crowded schedule.

“A lot of (other countries) are queuing, so it won’t be easy.”

Added to this, Shafriman said, were the operating costs of up to RM20 million (S$6.07 million), making the cost of hosting the race in the region of RM300 million (S$91.13 million).

Monsoon race

The SIC has been the site of several unique and memorable F1 races, being one of the only established F1 quality circuits in the tropics.

As a tropical track, and especially a daytime race, it was subject to all manner of extremes, from heat to weather, with the race experience usually heightened by torrential rain.

Many F1 fans and several drivers remember the track wistfully, with seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton having described the track as “special”.

Sepang hosted an F1 race from 1999-2017, but according to the NST, it eventually backed out.

This was due to a combination of high organising costs, disappointing ticket sales, and dwindling interest in a F1 championship that was dominated by Hamilton (although current world champion Max Verstappen won the final race in 2017 on his 20th birthday).

Start the conversation

Shafriman said that if Malaysia were serious about bringing F1 back to Malaysia, then “maybe we can start the conversation”.

Shafriman said that it wasn’t just SIC that wanted the race back, but many other stakeholders in government and the corporate sector.

He compared Singapore’s approach, saying that “They have everyone on board in making it a success, from the ministries to the corporate sector to the hotels.”

“Everybody contributes. It has to be like that if we bring it back here.”

Top image via Wikipedia