$4.5 MILLION upgrades not enough for Malaysian Grand Prix return

Harry Smith
Tuesday 11 April 2023 13:25

Fans of the beloved Sepang International Circuit have been dealt another blow after the Malaysian sports minister claimed that the country cannot afford to host a Formula 1 Grand Prix.

The most recent Malaysian Grand Prix was held back in 2017 when the country decided that would be the final race held at the circuit due to diminishing attendance figures and financial returns.

Unfortunately for Malaysia, the conclusion of their Grand Prix happened to coincide with an explosion in F1's popularity.

The end of the Malaysian Grand Prix's place on the calendar was a sad day for F1 fans too with the unique Sepang International Circuit playing host to many memorable races after joining the calendar in 1999.

Many hoped that Sepang could return during the Covid-affected 2020 F1 season but their calls went unanswered, and following the recent comments it could be a while until we see F1 cars in Malaysia again.

Sepang upgrades not enough

Speaking to the Malaysian press, youth and sports minister Hannah Yeoh said: “Motorsport is expensive, and the ministry does not want the SIC to bear the burden alone.

“If it is a sport, it should be developed together with the ministry.

“F1 is very expensive. We had to wait for $4,500,000 from the government just to upgrade the track."

Yeoh had some pretty clear-cut comments for anyone hoping to see F1 cars return to the Sepang International Circuit anytime soon.

“If we could host an F1 race we already would have done it – but for now, we can’t afford to have races.

“For now, we will use the money for urgent fixes.”

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