Anwar says Malaysia discussing return of F1 race

 The prime minister says he is looking forward to the prospect as Formula One returns to Sepang after a nine-year absence.

The umbrellas were out as heavy rain delayed the start of the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix race today. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA:

The government is discussing the possibility of bringing back the Malaysian Grand Prix Formula 1 race following the return of F1 action to the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) this weekend, says Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Asked today if there was a chance Malaysia could get an F1 race back in the future, the prime minister said: “Well, I’m looking forward to it. We’re discussing.”

He was responding to former F1 driver and Sky Sports commentator Martin Brundle during a brief exchange on the grid before the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix today.

Anwar, who was drenched by the heavy rain at Sepang, also spoke of his excitement at seeing F1 back in the country.

“You see, I’m wet, drenched, but am very excited. You see, the entire country is rejoicing,” he told Brundle.

Heavy rain and standing water delayed the start of the race, with the starting procedure later suspended after the drivers went out behind the safety car, just before 4pm.

The race eventually flagged off at 4.35pm.

This weekend marks the first time a F1 race has been held at Sepang since 2017, although the event is officially known as the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.

The Bahrain race was moved to SIC following security concerns arising from the conflict in the Middle East, giving Malaysia an unexpected return to the F1 calendar.

Malaysia previously hosted its own F1 race at SIC every year from 1999 to 2017. Former prime minister Najib Razak’s administration ended the event after citing its high hosting costs and declining returns.

The government had said before this weekend’s event that Malaysia would only need to spend between RM10 million and RM16 million on preparations, as Bahrain had already borne the major costs associated with hosting the race.

However, SIC CEO Azhan Shafriman Hanif previously estimated that securing a permanent place on the F1 calendar would cost Malaysia at least RM300 million a year, including hosting rights fees.

He said any permanent return would also depend on whether the government could justify the expenditure and whether a slot was available on the increasingly crowded F1 calendar.  - FMT