Former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad expressed support for Malaysia reclaiming Formula One hosting rights at the Sepang International Circuit if the upcoming event proves successful. He said the government should carefully assess tourist arrivals and spending generated by the race before deciding on a permanent return to the F1 calendar [1, 2, 3, 4].
The Sepang circuit will temporarily host the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix from October 2 to 4, 2026, after the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia races were canceled due to the war in Iran [1, 2, 3]. Mahathir noted that the original RM100 million (S$31.3 million) hosting fee once seemed expensive but is now comparatively less significant due to currency value changes, stating, "Previously, RM100 million was a lot. Now RM100 million is equivalent to RM50 million, which is not much" [1].
Malaysia hosted its first F1 race in 1999 at the Sepang circuit, which cost RM200 million to build. The Malaysian Grand Prix ran annually for 19 years until 2017, when the hosting fee rose from RM50 million to over RM100 million, leading to the country's withdrawal due to cost concerns [1, 2, 3, 4]. Mahathir said, "We earned enough to cover the building cost, so we are essentially using the facility free of charge now. Whatever comes in now is profit" [4].
The decision to bring the Bahrain Grand Prix temporarily to Sepang aims to boost tourism and Malaysia's global profile rather than make substantial direct ticket profits. Mahathir added that visitors for F1 often stay several days, spending on hotels, food, and local activities, which creates significant foreign cash inflows for the country. "When we have the race, we can see how many tourists come, how much they spend and so on as a return on our investment," he said [1, 2, 3, 4].
Mahathir said he would consider having Malaysia host its own F1 race again if he were in government, emphasizing the importance of evaluating the outcomes from the upcoming event before committing to permanent hosting rights [4].
The Sepang International Circuit is 5.543 km long and has attracted up to 100,000 spectators for previous F1 races [4]. The track's construction cost has been fully recouped, and ongoing events are currently profitable [4].
The Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang is scheduled for October 2-4, 2026, marking the next key step in Malaysia's Formula One involvement [1, 2, 3, 4].
