The Sepang circuit returns to the F1 calendar later this year – it was previously announced that the cancelled Bahrain GP near Kuala Lumpur will be held. Formula 1 has not visited Malaysia since 2017, but now that the Asian market is becoming increasingly important for the sport, this is a prime opportunity to return to Sepang. F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali says at Zandvoort that preparations are ‘excellent’.
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Formula 1 returns to Sepang on the weekend of October 3 and 4. This means an extra busy second half of the season for Max Verstappen and company, who will complete no less than three triple headers towards the end of the season. According to Domenicali, the replacement GP in Malaysia already seems to be a success. “Everything is going excellently,” Domenicali confirmed to F1.com. “I can say that the tickets for the grandstands are already sold out, so we will now offer regular tickets.”
‘Incredible achievement’
“To think that in just a few weeks we have been able to sell out a market that has not existed within Formula 1 since 2017 is an incredible achievement,” the Italian continued proudly. “We are very happy about that.” Malaysia held its last F1 race in 2017, ending a period of eighteen years on the calendar.
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The Grand Prix disappeared at the time due to rising organizational costs and declining visitor numbers. However, the Sepang International Circuit still holds an FIA Grade 1 license, allowing the circuit to host an F1 event. Max Verstappen won the last Malaysian GP in 2017. He shared the podium with Lewis Hamilton and teammate Daniel Ricciardo.
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Read everything about the Dutch GP in Zandvoort here
