Sepang circuit must be more than just a race track: Deputy minister pushes for serious F1 evaluation

SEPANG, Nov 1 — Malaysia's Deputy Housing and Local Government Minister, Aiman Athirah Sabu, has urged for a comprehensive evaluation of Formula 1 (F1) racing's potential return to the country, emphasizing the need to transform Sepang International Circuit (SIC) into a critical national asset. Aiman Athirah, who also represents the Sepang constituency, argues that any investment must translate into economic returns, job creation, and tangible benefits for Malaysians.

In her statement on Facebook, she urges Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to consider SIC's strategic value as an international asset, geographical advantage, and potential to spur economic growth. She affirms that SIC is more than just a race track; it is also a tourism draw, an investment platform, and Malaysia's entryway to sustaining its competitiveness in the global motorsports industry.

Aiman Athirah highlights the extension of Malaysia's hosting rights for MotoGP until 2031 as a significant step in preserving the nation's standing on the international motorsports calendar. To diversify SIC's revenue, she suggests tapping into corporate sponsorships, commercial rights, hospitality packages, facility rentals, and hosting other events.

She welcomes the circuit's efforts to draft a feasibility study on bringing F1 back to Malaysia, anticipated to be presented to the Cabinet in November. However, Aiman Athirah insists that the decision to reinstate F1 should not be solely based on nostalgia, prestige, or spectator numbers. Instead, it must be based on a thorough economic study, accounting for hosting fees, operational commitments, sponsorships, commercial revenue, and net returns to the country.

She proposes exploring hosting models such as annual or periodic races, contingent on their financial and commercial viability. Aiman Athirah also recommends developing SIC into a year-round motorsports economic hub, rather than relying on major racing weekends for revenue. This could include hosting international motorsports events, vehicle testing and development by automotive manufacturers, technical training programs, industry conferences, corporate activities, and facility rentals for various commercial uses.

Most importantly, she argues that SIC should play a more prominent role in nurturing local talent and boosting the domestic industry through collaborations with universities, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions, and automotive industry stakeholders.