Yesterday at 14:40
The CEO of the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) has admitted it
was a mistake for Malaysia to stop hosting F1 races. The Asian
track made its first appearance on the schedule as a world
championship race in 1999 and quickly became a hit due to its
layout and the unpredictable weather that surrounded the event.
However, following the conclusion of the 2017 event, F1 has not
returned to the Sepang track. With the sport undergoing a
significant boost in popularity since its exit, the circuit's CEO
Azhan Shafriman Hanif has asserted it was a wrong choice. "We do
not want to repeat the mistakes of the past," he told the New
Straits Times . "We let F1 go and now it is very hard to get it
back. I hope we don't make the same mistake with MotoGP." SIC is
currently looking at bringing its race back to the schedule,
however it is wary of the high costs involved as well as competing
with other interested nations. "There is a waiting list to get back
in and of course, the costs are very expensive. We were quoted $70
million race fees. That is for each event. "That does not include
our setup costs which are in the region of RM10 to RM20m ($2.3m to
$4.7m) for each event. "In total, it would cost us more than RM300m
($71m) to bring back the race. "A lot of people are queuing so it
won't be easy. But if we are really serious about it, then maybe we
can start the conversation." The track has already received the
approval of the Malaysian government to pursue a return to the
calendar. "It is not just SIC that wants Formula One. Many other
stakeholders from both the government as well as the corporate
sector also want it back," said Shafriman. "We have to look at how
Singapore is hosting it. They have everyone on board in making it a
success, from the ministries to the corporate sector to the hotels.
Everybody contributes. "It has to be like that if we bring it back
here."
