No plans to bring F1 back to Malaysia, says Petronas

Petronas’s sponsorship of the Mercedes team has resulted in eight constructors’ and seven drivers’ world championships since 2010. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: Petronas has dismissed news reports stating that it wants to bring Formula 1 races back to Malaysia in 2026.

Citing unnamed sources, Reuters today reported that Petronas plans to resume the races after a nine-year hiatus. It said this was revealed during a company town hall session led by the firm’s president and CEO, Tengku Taufik Aziz.

“Petronas refers to news reports published on Jan 31 on the potential return of the Formula One Grand Prix to Sepang, Malaysia, in 2026.

“We would like to confirm that there have been no discussions on bringing the sport back to the Petronas Sepang International Circuit (SIC),” the state-owned oil and gas company said.

Last year, youth and sports minister Hannah Yeoh said it would be “quite impossible” for Malaysia to host F1 races at SIC again due to the high costs the grand prix would incur.

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won the last Malaysian F1 Grand Prix in 2017 while Mercedes’s Lewis Hamilton won the drivers’ championship that year.

Petronas’s sponsorship of the Mercedes team has resulted in eight constructors’ and seven drivers’ world championships since 2010. - FMT