{
  "id": 11651987,
  "title": "Bahrain F1 Grand Prix: Spectators complain about expensive food, drinks",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/bahrain-f1-grand-prix-spectators-complain-about-expensive-food-drinks",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-03T09:05:17.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2026/10/1546851/bahrain-f1-grand-prix-spectators-complain-about-expensive-food-drinks"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "During the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit in Kuala Lumpur, spectators have expressed dissatisfaction with the high prices of food and beverages. A number of social media posts highlighted prices for items such as RM50 turmeric chicken rice, RM30 mango with asam boi, RM25 iced Milo, and RM25 fruit drinks. One user questioned the RM50 price of Chinese fried rice, comparing it to a previous purchase at a mamak restaurant for just RM7. This led to a range of reactions, with some netizens stating that the high prices discouraged them from attending the race, while others argued that the costs could be attributed to high operating expenses and vendor site rental fees. The latter suggested that a vendor site rental for three days could cost up to RM30,000, with some even exceeding RM100,000. Some netizens also claimed that the F1 organizers take around 20 percent of sales revenue, which could explain the relatively high prices. The discussions have ignited a broader conversation among netizens about the disparities in food prices at major events, particularly the differences between venue-based prices and prices outside the event area.",
  "summary": "KUALA LUMPUR: Food and beverage prices at Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) have sparked discussion online after several spectators shared their experiences on social media.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 5,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "BBC Sport",
        "title": "Humphries into Grand Prix semis as Van Veen exits",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/humphries-into-grand-prix-semis-as-van-veen-exits",
        "published": "2026-10-02T23:06:07.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "Humphries into Grand Prix semis as Van Veen exits",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/humphries-into-grand-prix-semis-as-van-veen-exits-11549413",
        "published": "2026-10-02T23:06:41.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "Bahrain F1 Grand Prix: Visitors stuck for hours as congestion hits SIC, KLIA2",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/bahrain-f1-grand-prix-visitors-stuck-for-hours-as-congestion-hits-sic",
        "published": "2026-10-03T00:34:16.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "ABC News",
        "title": "Verstappen claims pole at Grand Prix in Malaysia",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/verstappen-claims-pole-at-grand-prix-in-malaysia",
        "published": "2026-10-03T09:55:55.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}