F1 comeback reignites fans’ nostalgia

Back for the roar: Hafiz (left) and a friend during their last visit to SIC for an F1 race. He said hearing the latest-generation F1 cars in action was something he was particularly looking forward to.

PETALING JAYA: Nine years ago, Mohamad Hafiz Johari was behind a camera at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) captu­ring the Formula One (F1) podium of the Malaysian circuit.

Now a private driver, the 41-year-old is raring to go again when the F1 makes its comeback at the SIC in October, but this time simply as a fan.

Back in 2017 as a sports photographer, he captured the po­dium celebration with then Red Bull Racing driver Max Ver­stappen finishing first, ahead of Mercedes AMG Petronas’ Lewis Hamilton and his Red Bull Racing teammate Daniel Ricciardo.

Mohamad Hafiz rates the experience as one of his most memorable sporting experiences.

“The atmosphere in Sepang, the sound of the engines, loud cheers from spectators and F1 cars zooming past are difficult to describe. You must experience it yourself.

“Watching F1 live is very diffe­rent from watching it on TV. I felt very excited and it brought back many old memories,” he said.

Mohamad Hafiz said F1’s absence from Sepang after 2017 left a sense of loss among fans who had become accustomed to seeing the championship return every year.

“When the final race took place in 2017, it was difficult to believe that it was the last time.

“After that, whenever the F1 season came around, I would remember the atmosphere at Sepang and dream about it ma­king a return,” he said.

A race to remember: Mohamad Hafiz’s final photo at the 2017 Malaysian Grand Prix captured former German racing driver Sebastian Vettel riding with then-Sauber F1 driver Pascal Wehrlein after Vettel’s Ferrari was damaged in an accident shortly after the race at SIC. — Photo courtesy of Mohamad Hafiz

With the RM200 Rahmah ticket allocation seemingly sold out, Mohamad Hafiz said he was still desperately trying to get a ticket to the race despite the increasingly steep prices.

Afifi Hafiz Mohd Nor, who is actively involved in car clubs, also remembers the 2017 race as a unique experience, saying the atmosphere and excitement of being there could never be replicated by watching it on television.

Having followed Hamilton’s career closely, the 39-year-old said the seven-time world champion was among the drivers who made him a big F1 fan.

“When I found out F1 was ma­king a comeback here, I felt excited ... I almost couldn’t believe it. We have not had that experience for a long time,” he said.

“Going to Sepang was not just about watching the race. It was an experience shared with friends.

“The F1 coming back gives us an opportunity to revive some of those old memories,” added Afifi Hafiz.

Hafiz Harudin, 43, said his memories of the 2017 race were closely tied to the friends he watched it with, as well as the “energy” of the Sepang crowd.

“Sepang and F1 have a history together, and for Malaysian fans who grew up watching the race there, it will be a great walk down memory lane,” said the bank executive.

Hafiz, who is a Fernando Alonso fan, said he was particularly looking forward to hearing the sound of the latest generation of F1 cars.

F1 will return to SIC from Oct 2 to 4, with the circuit set to host the Bahrain Grand Prix as part of the revised 2026 calendar.