A FAN favourite Formula One track could be in line for a return to the sport in 2026, according to reports.
The Malaysia Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) hosted F1 races between 1999 and 2017.
AP:Associated PressF1 could be in line for a return to Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit[/caption]
AP:Associated PressPetronas are reportedly planning to get the track back on the calendar for 2026[/caption]
It was removed from the calendar due to declining ticket sales and rising hosting costs, but never lost popularity among fans around the globe.
And now the country’s state oil company Petroliam Nasional – or Petronas – are looking to bring F1 races back to the nation in 2026, three sources close to the matter reportedly told Reuters.
Petronas – a sponsor of the Mercedes F1 team – won naming rights for the SIC, which still hosts motorsport events including MotoGP races, for three years in October 2023.
The F1 return plan is said to have been revealed during a company townhall led by president and chief executive Tengku Muhammad Taufik Tengku Aziz on Tuesday.
However, the sources did not elaborate on the reasons for the return and did not specifically mention any discussions with F1.
Although they did describe the 2026 plan as outlined in the company call.
In response to the report, Petronas said: “There have been no discussions on bringing the sport back to the PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit.”
Regardless, fans were excited at the potential of the news.
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One fan said: “Please be true .”
A second said: “Now this is what I’m talking about!”
A third said: “I like Malaysia. They need to bring it back.”
Another said: “It was designed in the 1990s but is still one of the few in the world specifically designed for F1, so it absolutely has to be back on the calendar.”
A fifth added: “We miss Sepang .”
Max Verstappen won the most recent F1 race at the Sepang circuit.
F1 recently announced the addition of the Madrid Grand Prix to the calendar from 2026.
The 2024 F1 season is set to start in Bahrain on March 2.
Complete F1 2024 race calendar – details on every Grand Prix and start time this year