KUALA LUMPUR – The Sepang International Circuit (SIC) were unaware of the offer to host the Formula E race in Malaysia.
Chief executive officer Azhan Shafriman Aziz said that they only found out about this through news reports published a few days ago.
It is understood that Formula E has offered Kuala Lumpur to host its season-ending race annually, from next year until 2030. But as of now, they are still awaiting a final decision from the Malaysian government.
Azhan said that Malaysia previously hosted the race in 2014 and 2015 in Putrajaya, but it would require a lot more effort to attract spectators to the event.
“To be honest, before I saw the article that was published, there were no discussions with Formula E regarding hosting the championship in Malaysia.
“If we look at it, Formula E races are often held on street circuits rather than the tracks we have here.
“For me, I think Formula E is a good race, but in terms of the cost of hosting and the effort to promote it, it will require a substantial investment.
“However, it is up to the government to see the advantages of bringing Formula E to Malaysia,” said Azhan during the announcement ceremony of the new partnership with Hankook at SIC today.
Through this collaboration, Hankook became the official tyre partner for the Malaysia Championship Series (MCS) and Sepang 1000km (S1K) for three years until 2026.
The MCS will kick off its first round for the new season from May 3 to 5, while the S1K competition shall return to Sepang from November 22 to 24, 2024. – March 15, 2024