Malaysia Eyes F1 Return As Government Weighs Hosting Options

Instead of committing to an annual slot, the government is considering hosting the event every few years or sharing hosting responsibilities with another nation, according to the New Straits Times.

During Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat on Thursday, 15 October, Youth and Sports Minister Dr Taufiq Johari revealed that a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis will be submitted to the Cabinet by November.

He stressed that any long-term decision would depend on whether the premier motorsport event could deliver adequate financial returns without diverting funding from grassroots athlete development or other sporting disciplines.

The three-day event generated an estimated economic impact of RM950 million. It drew roughly 261,000 visitors and recorded over 100,000 ticket sales, a substantial increase from the 30,000 tickets sold during Malaysia's final regular Grand Prix appearance in 2017.

"Hosting F1 is not cheap, and there are several important aspects that we need to evaluate," Dr Taufiq said in response to Bangi MP Syahredzan Johan.

He explained that a multi-ministerial committee, working alongside the chief secretary to the government, is reviewing the overall feasibility and return on investment to ensure economic benefits extend beyond SIC and the ministry.

Local businesses also benefited commercially, with 40 micro-entrepreneurs participating in the Rasa MADANI food and vendor carnival generating more than RM550,000 in sales over the race weekend.

Despite the commercial appeal of Grand Prix racing, Dr Taufiq reiterated that nurturing domestic talent remains the ministry's priority. Last year, the ministry allocated RM5.6 million across 29 programmes and 159 activities spanning both two-wheel and four-wheel disciplines.