Oct.16 (GMM) Malaysia’s desired Formula 1 comeback may not become an annual fixture after all, despite the success of this month’s race at Sepang.
Following the 2026 return, with Sepang hosting the rescheduled Bahrain GP, Malaysian government figures had openly discussed bringing Formula 1 back on a permanent basis.
But Youth and Sports Minister Dr Mohammed Taufiq Johari now says Malaysia is also considering a less frequent arrangement.
“There has also been a proposal to hold the race once every few years in collaboration with another country, but this is still at an early stage,” he told parliament, according to Bernama news agency.
The government is still assessing whether an annual race would generate sufficient returns to justify the cost.
“If we look at 2017, ticket sales were only about 30,000, compared with nearly 100,000 tickets this year,” said the minister.
Mohammed Taufiq said the key question is whether that level could be sustained every year.
The idea also fits Formula 1’s increasingly crowded 24-race calendar, with Spa and Barcelona already set to annually alternate.
Malaysia’s evaluation is expected to be completed by the end of November before a recommendation goes to Cabinet, Bernama added.