Formula 1 has changed beyond recognition under Liberty Media. Once the proud playground of Spa, Monza, and Silverstone, the calendar is now a glittering showcase of Vegas neon, Miami nightlife, and soon Madrid’s street festival. Old giants, once unthinkable to drop, now cling on by their fingernails—With the iconic Ardennes Forrest Spa circuit itself reduced to a rotational deal, praying for survival.
The message from F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali could not be clearer: history and passion don’t guarantee you a calendar slot. In 2025, a Grand Prix needs more than racing pedigree—it requires political will, corporate muscle, and a host city willing to turn itself into a billion-dollar party zone.
And now, with Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit lobbying for a comeback after bowing out in 2017, the reality check is brutal. The price of entry has not just gone up—it has doubled.
Sepang’s legendary F1 races
Sepang did not fall off the F1 calendar because it lacked excitement. Quite the opposite: from its debut in 1999, the circuit was hailed as one of Hermann Tilke’s finest designs—wide straights, flowing corners, and tropical chaos often baked into the weekend.
It gave fans classics: Fernando Alonso’s heroic win in 2012, Sebastian Vettel defying team orders with “Multi-21” in 2013, Lewis Hamilton’s title hopes imploding with a blown engine in 2016. Sepang rarely disappointed.
But entertainment value did not pay the bills. By 2017, with local revenues dwindling and hosting fees soaring, Malaysia walked away. At the time, it seemed pragmatic—why throw good money after bad? In hindsight, it looks like a catastrophic miscalculation.
Promoter sorry they “let F1 go”
“We let Formula 1 go, and now it is very hard to get it back,” admitted Azhan Shafriman Hanif, CEO of the Sepang International Circuit. Under Liberty, fees for new venues have soared. Malaysia once paid around $35–40m per year. The going rate today: $70m annually, plus mandatory long-term deals worth hundreds of millions.
What makes Malaysia’s plight sting even more is the success of its neighbour and rival: Singapore.
Introduced in 2008, the Singapore Grand Prix did not just join the calendar—it reinvented it. Government backing, tourist board buy-in, corporate sponsorship, and a slick night-race spectacle turned it into one of F1’s crown jewels.
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Government response for help is negative
Malaysia, by contrast, had the better racing but not the political will. Sepang never became a national project. Singapore did—and thrived. This week, Sepang’s owners made their case for financial backing. The response from Malaysia’s government? A hard no.
Speaking in Parliament, Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh declared there were “no plans to bring back F1,” citing the astronomical costs as unjustifiable.
She spelled it out with brutal clarity:
* Hosting requires RM300 million ($70m) per year.
* Over a 5-year contract, that’s RM1.5 billion.
* That money, she argued, could instead fund 363 elite athletes and nearly 10,000 youth athletes several times over.
Time moves on
Yeoh added that the Sepang circuit is far from a white elephant. MotoGP alone drew 185,000 fans last year, generated RM329 million in economic impact, and created nearly 4,500 jobs. All at a fraction of the cost of F1.
“Organising F1 races requires the government to pay about RM300 million annually. That money could be better spent on other sports development programmes,” Yeoh said. In one stroke, Malaysia’s political leadership torpedoed any hopes of public money bankrolling a return.
Here lies the paradox: Sepang, once criticised as “too expensive,” now finds itself begging to return just as Liberty’s price tag has doubled. The circuit is like the repentant ex-lover showing up at F1’s door with flowers, only to find the sport already in bed with flashier, richer partners—Las Vegas, Miami, Madrid.
Private backing the only solution
Yet all hope is not lost. Yeoh left a ray of hope for the want to be Mlayaisan Grand Prix organisers, suggesting the government could cooperate if “corporate sponsors” or private backers step up. Petronas, Malaysia’s oil giant and long-time motorsport benefactor, is the obvious candidate. If the money appears, Malaysia could make a case.
Even if Malaysia conjured up the cash tomorrow, 2026 is already off the table. The calendar is maxed out at 24 races, the absolute limit under current agreements.
A return in 2027 or 2028 is more realistic, but Sepang will face stiff competition. Portugal’s Portimão announced this week they are lobbying for a comeback, and unlike Sepang, they don’t require an overhaul of government policy to make it happen.
One of Tilkes best tracks
Sepang’s case is ironclad when it comes to racing. The layout is one of Tilke’s best. It can handle modern oversized cars without turning into a parade. The weather practically guarantees chaos. Fans in Southeast Asia remain passionate. But in today’s Formula 1, racing quality is not the currency that matters. Cash is.
Unless Malaysia is prepared to elevate F1 into a national priority, Singapore-style, Sepang risks being relegated to highlight reels and nostalgia pieces. Sepang’s story is a cautionary tale. Once it stepped off the carousel, the sport moved on without it. Now, even if Malaysia’s corporate world scrapes together the funds, the fight to get back in will be tough.
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With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
