Former SIC chief Razlan Razali believes F1’s growing popularity could help Sepang attract fans again if Malaysia hosts a one-off race.
THE global resurgence of Formula One (F1) has fuelled confidence that the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) can once again attract thousands of spectators if Malaysia is given the opportunity to host a one-off F1 race, said former SIC chief executive officer Datuk Razlan Razali.
Razlan said the surge in F1’s popularity over the past few years, driven largely by Netflix’s documentary series *Drive to Survive*, has sparked a new wave of fans, including women and younger audiences, transforming the motorsport landscape significantly since Malaysia stopped hosting F1 in 2017.
He said the shift presents Malaysia with an ideal opportunity to host the prestigious race again should it be invited to replace any cancelled round resulting from geopolitical conflicts.
“It has now been more than five years. If there is an official request from Liberty Media for Sepang to take over a cancelled round, I think Malaysia should seriously consider it because opportunities like this do not come often,” he told Bernama today.
Razlan said any decision should, however, be made only after evaluating the terms offered by Liberty Media, particularly the hosting costs, which he believes could be lower than in the past.
He said if the race is held as a one-off event, ticket prices should be kept affordable to encourage strong domestic demand, especially if it is scheduled close to the Singapore Grand Prix.
“If it is held before or after Singapore (Oct 11), we may have only about a month to promote and sell tickets. That is why ticket prices must be reasonable because this is not a regular event. Liberty Media would also want to see the grandstands filled,” he said.
On SIC’s readiness, Razlan said the circuit has the capability to stage an F1 race even with a short preparation period, given its experience in hosting world-class events such as MotoGP and the circuit’s infrastructure, which is maintained to the highest standards.
“In terms of the track, facilities and paddock buildings, I believe there will be no issues. What matters is that Formula One and the FIA accept the existing conditions because there is simply not enough time for major modifications.
“Many people assume SIC manages the technical aspects of the race, but those are handled entirely by Formula One and the FIA. SIC’s role is to provide the infrastructure and operational support, such as marshals and race officials,” he said.
Meanwhile, Razlan said staging a one-off F1 race would provide Malaysia with the best platform to demonstrate its capability to host the world-class event again, potentially paving the way for discussions on restoring Sepang as a permanent venue on the F1 calendar.
“If the race is successfully organised and delivers positive economic and tourism benefits, I believe there will certainly be room for the government to discuss with Liberty Media the possibility of Malaysia becoming a permanent Formula One host again in the future,” he said.
Former Malaysian F1 driver Alex Yoong Hanifah said any effort to bring the prestigious race back to Sepang should be undertaken at a reasonable cost so that ticket prices remain affordable and more Malaysians can experience the race live.
The country’s only Formula One driver welcomed the possibility of Malaysia hosting a replacement race should any scheduled round be cancelled, but stressed that it should proceed only if the country is not burdened with excessively high hosting rights fees.
“If we could get the race, provided it made sense, like for example, we don’t have to pay a stupidly expensive rights fee. If we could get a good cheap deal for that, then I think it’s excellent. We’d all love to see Formula 1 back here in Malaysia for the right price,” he said.
International media recently reported that Bahrain could return to the F1 calendar by filling the slot between the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and the Singapore Grand Prix. However, continuing tensions in West Asia have raised questions over whether the race can proceed as planned.
Following the reports, Youth and Sports Minister Dr Mohammed Taufiq Johari said the ministry is holding discussions and assessing the possibility of F1 returning to SIC after receiving preliminary information indicating that Malaysia could host a replacement race if the Bahrain Grand Prix cannot be held.
Formula One is now awaiting an official decision expected soon following close monitoring of this weekend’s FIA World Motor Sport Council meeting.
The meeting is also expected to discuss the status of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) races in Qatar and Bahrain, with safety remaining the primary consideration.
Earlier, the WEC postponed its Qatar round to Oct 24 because of the regional conflict, while the season-ending Bahrain race remains scheduled for Nov 7.
