Dr M hopes to see F1 make a comeback to Sepang

KUALA LUMPUR: Formula One may make a comeback to Malaysia.

Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad expressed hope that the Malaysian Grand Prix would make it a return to the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) after he was conferred the Petronas SIC Motorsports Association of Malaysia (MAM) Awards 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award.

Dr Mahathir said he never expected the motorsport scene in Malaysia to thrive when he had the brainchild to have a world class race track in Malaysia.

"I remember my visit to Estoril in Portugal, which inspired me to have a similar track in Malaysia. I never thought it would bring 10,000 to 20,000 people to the track," he said.

"The reception was good. Malaysians took up racing themselves and are now very well into motor racing and also the engineering behind the cars.

"So we have gained a lot of things from the Sepang races and the money spent on the track was well worth it.

"I hope the races (at Sepang) will continue into the future, and I also hope Formula One will come back in all its glory," he said.

The SIC, which was built to host Formula One races, was the brainchild of Dr Mahathir. The track hosted Formula One from 1999 to 2017, but it was not continued due to declining interest in the race here and the high costs incurred.

Sepang, however, continues to host the popular MotoGP, which has been drawing record-breaking crowds in recent years.