Malaysia to disappear from F1 calendar in 2018

Last October, many Malaysian officials had stated that they no longer saw the point in hosting a Formula 1 Grand Prix as ticket sales were very low and the fee due to the FOM remained very high.

This situation has been further amplified with the arrival of neighboring Singapore on the calendar, which has quickly established itself as a must-see with its night race through the streets of the City-State.

Sean Bratches, the new commercial director of F1, has thus announced that an agreement has been reached to allow Malaysia to end its presence on the calendar a year before the end of its contract, which ran until the end of 2018: « It’s always sad to say goodbye to a member of the Formula 1 family. For two decades, Malaysian Formula 1 fans have proven that they are truly passionate about the sport. »

However, if the new owners have shown themselves to be accommodating, it is because they know there is a strong demand to be included in the calendar. Thus, France will make its return next season, as will Germany, which regains its place in Hockenheim: « As we said in Melbourne, we have big plans to bring our global fan base closer than ever to the sport by offering an enhanced digital experience and creating new events. We look forward to detailing these plans further throughout the season. We will have 21 races on the 2018 calendar with the return of races in France and Germany. »

On the other hand, it will be interesting to see the evolution of Petronas’ position. Indeed, the national oil company was not only the title sponsor of the event but also that of Mercedes. Now that the country is officially withdrawing from the discipline, will its political leaders also wish to withdraw the significant support they provide to the world champion team?

The response to this question was immediate and unequivocal from the team:

@RacingBizz @F1 @Petronas No!

— Mercedes-AMG F1 (@MercedesAMGF1) April 7, 2017

With the participation of www.racingbusiness.fr