Petronas clarifies it holds naming rights to Sepang International Circuit but does not manage or control F1 ticket sales.
KUALA LUMPUR: Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) today clarified that although it holds the naming rights to the Petronas Sepang International Circuit (SIC), the circuit is owned by Sepang International Circuit Sdn Bhd, a company under the Minister of Finance Incorporated (MOF Inc).
The national oil company said the circuit is operated by an agency under the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
“As Petronas is not the event organiser, it does not manage, control, or have access to ticket allocation, sales, or distribution.
“Ticket sales are managed solely by the event organiser and its authorised channels,” it said in a statement yesterday.
Petronas issued the clarification following public interest surrounding the upcoming Formula 1 (F1) Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix (Bahrain GP), scheduled to take place on Oct 2-4, 2026 at the SIC.
On Friday, Youth and Sports Minister Dr Mohammed Taufiq Johari said the ministry is conducting discussions and assessing the possibility of the F1 race returning to the Malaysian circuit.
Malaysia last hosted an F1 Grand Prix in 2017, but the SIC has remained on the MotoGP calendar and retains the FIA Grade 1 licence required to host an F1 race.
Petronas has been sponsoring the Mercedes F1 team since 2010, and in October 2023, it won the naming rights to the SIC for three years.
F1’s 2026 season was originally scheduled as a 24-race championship, and the addition of replacement races would satisfy broadcast deals and could bring the number of races back to 22 or 23.
On Sunday, Formula 1 and the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) confirmed that Malaysia will host the Bahrain GP, subject to final agreements and official sign-off, including the approval of the World Motor Sport Council.
The race will be held between the F1 Azerbaijan GP and the F1 Singapore GP.
