Decision on an F1 return to Malaysia to be made after viability assessment report is presented to cabinet in Nov

Malaysia’s successful outing in hosting the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Sepang has spurred talk of a potential return to the F1 calendar, and while that possibility remains at the exploratory stage, the youth and sports ministry (KBS) says that the country is considering hosting F1 races every few years in partnership with another country instead of holding the event annually as one of the options.

In any case, discussions on a possible return are still at an early stage, with a government assessment report expected to be submitted to the cabinet by November being key to a decision on whether it will be a go or no, said KBS minister Dr Mohammed Taufiq Johari.

He said a committee involving various ministries and the chief secretary to the government has been tasked with assessing the event’s feasibility and return on investment, with the aim of ensuring its benefits extend beyond KBS and Sepang international circuit (SIC), The Star reports.

“Malaysia will decide whether to bring back F1 after a government committee completes its assessment of the costs, economic returns and feasibility of hosting the race,” he told the Dewan Rakyat in response to a question from Syahredzan Johan (PH-Bangi), who asked if F1 would return to Malaysia and what factors, including hosting costs, would determine the decision.

A lot of other considerations also have to be looked at, he added. “Any decision must also ensure that hosting F1 would not affect funding for athlete development and other sports in the country,” he said.

While nearly RM950 million in total monetary value was injected into the Malaysian economy from the event, Taufiq said future hosting decisions would require a comprehensive assessment of whether similar returns could be achieved. “Hosting F1 is not cheap, and there are several important aspects that we need to evaluate,” he said.

The event attracted approximately 261,000 spectators over the race weekend, including an estimated 103,000 on race day itself. In comparison, only about 30,000 tickets were sold when Sepang hosted its last F1 race in 2017, when it was part of the annual race calendar.