Sepang dreams of returning to F1
The Sepang circuit could return to the Formula 1 calendar. The Malaysian track has emerged in recent hours among the main candidates to host a substitute Grand Prix in case the races scheduled in the Middle East cannot take place due to the war in Iran. The news was first revealed by British colleagues at The-Race.
F1 is evaluating several alternatives to maintain approximately 23 seasonal appointments and avoid further cancellations after the April stops in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. The possible return of the Malaysian Grand Prix, which would take place on the weekend of October 4, stems from the escalation of the conflict between the United States and Iran, which has increased geopolitical instability in the Middle East to the point of pushing F1 management to consider other scenarios.
Sepang offers several logistical advantages: the circuit is located near Kuala Lumpur, is connected to an international airport, and has a strategic position considering the subsequent Singapore event (October 9-11). These elements would allow Formula 1 to organize an event relatively quickly, a fundamental characteristic for an already packed calendar.
Sepang hosted the Malaysian Grand Prix from 1999 to 2017 and is one of the most appreciated tracks by drivers and teams thanks to its technical layout. In recent years, it has been excluded from the calendar due to high organizational costs. The structure, however, has remained active also thanks to its presence in the MotoGP calendar.
In addition to Sepang, Portimão, in Portugal, also remains in the running, especially for a possible season finale. No decision has been made yet, but a definitive communication is expected in the coming days: as admitted by president Stefano Domenicali, time is now very tight to organize a race weekend between logistics and track activities. And, above all, the “risk” is to involve other circuits, because at the moment there are no conditions to race in Qatar and Abu Dhabi (respectively on the weekends of November 29 and December 6), not to mention that the Azerbaijan GP is held about 250 km from the border with Iran.
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