Sepang track won’t become a white elephant, Malaysia PM assures

Prime Minister Najib Razak yesterday said that Formula One could make a return to Malaysia and pledged that the Sepang circuit will not become a “white elephant”.

Speaking before the final edition of the Malaysian Grand Prix, which began in 1999, Najib said the lossmaking race could return if the “economic... conditions” were right.

“The economics viability of it is less and less attractive, so we decided to terminate it,” Najib told reporters.

“But it does not mean it cannot be reconsidered sometime in the future provided the economic set of conditions is deemed to be favourable,” he added.

Najib said there was still a “sentimental kind of feeling” about the last edition of a race, which helped raise Malaysia’s profile around the world.

Najib’s remarks come after the circuit’s CEO, Razlan Razali, said it will be a minimum of five years before Malaysia even contemplates bringing back the race.

Public funding

Malaysia’s government, who have bankrolled the event since its inception, in April announced they were no longer prepared to shell out $67 million (Dh246 million) a year to stage it.

Najib said the Sepang circuit, built in 1998, will not be under-used as it will host other races, including the highly popular MotoGP.

“We will develop other kinds of motorsports and see stronger Malaysian participation in the sports. It [Sepang circuit] will not be a white elephant,” he said.