Royal Diplomacy Brings Back F1 Race to Sepang After Nine Years
KUALA LUMPUR: Royal diplomacy between the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Ibrahim and the King of Bahrain, King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, created a historic moment when it successfully brought back the Formula One (F1) race to the Sepang International Circuit (SIC), after nine years.
Through a post on Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar’s Facebook page today, the success was described as the result of the close relationship and high trust established between His Majesty and King Hamad, thus leading to the organisation of the Bahrain F1 Grand Prix (GP) in Malaysia.
“Since 2017, His Majesty and King Hamad have forged a good personal friendship and it continued to grow towards strengthening diplomatic relations between Bahrain and Malaysia, with Sultan Ibrahim’s State Visit to Bahrain in 2025.
“Following challenges to the F1 race calendar due to the armed conflict in West Asia, the organisation of the Bahrain F1 Grand Prix faced uncertainty and required an immediate solution to ensure that the prestigious race could continue,” according to the post.
The post also informed that in an effort to find a solution, the King of Bahrain held discussions via a telephone call to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the discussion took place in a cordial atmosphere and spirit of friendship.
The discussion eventually became a turning point for strategic cooperation between the Government of Malaysia, the Government of Bahrain, Formula 1 and the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA).
“As a result of that understanding, an agreement was successfully reached to organise the Bahrain Formula 1 Grand Prix at the PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit, thus bringing the Formula 1 race back to Malaysia after it was last held in 2017.”
The post also informed that the announcement of the Sepang circuit as the host for the Bahrain F1 Grand Prix was well received, especially among F1 fans in Malaysia and the region, thus creating its own historical chapter, reflecting the excellent royal diplomatic relations between Sultan Ibrahim and King Hamad.
Yesterday, it was reported that Malaysia is ready to welcome the return of the F1 race to the Sepang International Circuit after nine years, when it will host the Bahrain F1 GP from 2 to 4 October this year.
BERNAMA