{
  "id": 10989081,
  "title": "Sepang F1 comeback hits record ticket sales, circuit 100pc ready",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/sepang-f1-comeback-hits-record-ticket-sales-circuit-100pc-ready",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-30T16:31:35.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/sports/motor-sports/2026/10/1544994/sepang-f1-comeback-hits-record-ticket-sales-circuit-100pc-ready"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Sepang International Circuit (SIC) in Malaysia is fully prepared for the Formula 1 (F1) Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix this weekend, with nearly 100,000 tickets sold, a record for the highest ticket sales at the circuit. SIC CEO Azhan Shafriman Hanif announced that around 3,000 tickets remain available for purchase online. Hanif stated that the circuit's readiness has reached 100%, despite having only two months to prepare, compared to the usual six to seven months. The achievement is noteworthy given the short preparation period, according to Hanif. The CEO described the progress as commendable, emphasizing the significant effort required to elevate SIC to an F1 event level. SIC is collaborating with the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) and the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) to monitor air quality and cloud seeding operations have been conducted to reduce haze in the surrounding areas. The Gulf Air Bahrain GP will take place from Friday to Sunday, following an agreement between Formula 1, the FIA, and the governments of Malaysia and Bahrain. The Bahrain GP had been removed from the 2026 F1 calendar due to geopolitical tensions, but Malaysia has secured the hosting rights.",
  "summary": "SEPANG: Sepang International Circuit (SIC) is fully prepared ahead of the Formula 1 (F1) Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix (GP) in Malaysia this weekend, with nearly 100,000 tickets sold, setting a record for the highest ticket sales in the history of races held at the circuit.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}