Malaysia has no immediate plans to bring back the Formula 1 (F1) Grand Prix, with the government citing the high costs of hosting rights and facility upkeep, alongside an already packed global race calendar.
Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh told Parliament on Thursday that organizing an F1 race would require the government to invest about RM300 million annually in hosting fees to Liberty Media, F1’s commercial rights holder. Over a standard three- to five-year hosting contract, the commitment could reach RM1.5 billion.
“Besides the hosting fees, costs for track upgrades and event organization also need to be considered,” Yeoh said. “Sepang International Circuit (SIC) still holds the FIA Grade 1 homologation, but requires around RM10 million each year to maintain safety and support facilities to international standards.”
While Malaysia is not shutting the door entirely on F1’s return, Yeoh emphasized that it would only be feasible if corporate sponsors are willing to shoulder the hosting rights fees.
She stressed that the funds needed for F1 could be better utilized to develop Malaysian sports. With RM300 million, the Youth and Sports Ministry (KBS) could expand its athlete development programs across 20 sports, benefiting nearly 10,000 developing athletes and over 360 podium-level athletes — at a cost of RM124.1 million annually.
“With that amount, we could fund these programs for two to four full years. Similarly, the RM10 million used for circuit upgrades could instead finance the Road to Gold program for a year,” Yeoh added.
The same allocation, she said, could also sustain the Sports Matching Grant (Geran Padanan Sukan, GPS) of RM30 million annually for 10 years, an initiative designed to stimulate the sports economy through private sector involvement in organizing national and international sporting events.
Malaysia first hosted Formula 1 in 1999 at Sepang, becoming the first Southeast Asian nation to stage the prestigious race. However, after 19 editions, the government ended its run on September 1, 2017, citing declining returns and soaring costs.
Credit Photo : Hannah Yeoh
