The Malaysian Grand Prix will not be part of the 2018 F1 calendar, Formula One Management has confirmed.
The future of the race at the Sepang International Circuit has been in doubt since the country’s minister for tourism said in November its current deal was in doubt.
Race organisers signed a three-year deal in 2015 which would have included a grand prix next year. However today’s announcement has ruled that out.
“It’s always sad to say goodbye to a member of the Formula One family,” said F1 commercial operations managing director Sean Bratches.
“We will have 21 exciting events to look forward to in the 2018 calendar, with the additions of the French and German races.”
“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the Sepang International Circuit for their hospitality and professionalism over the years, and their ongoing commitment to motorsport.”
Sepang was built to hold the first Malaysian Grand Prix in 1999 and the race has been a fixture on the calendar ever since. However attendance has fallen sharply in recent years to around two-thirds of their 2013 level.
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StefMeister (@stefmeister)
7th April 2017, 6:35
Shame as I think thats probably the best track Tilke’s come up with.
Istanbul was good, I think Korea & India were good & I’m quite fond of Bahrain & China. However Sepang has a much better flow, A more varied mix of corners & is probably the most traditional/old school style circuit of the lot.
Michael Brown (@)
7th April 2017, 8:11
@stefmeister At least we have China, because the first half of the track is almost the same as Sepang. Really.
First turn is a long right hander, follower by a left. This leads to a slow right hand corner, followed by two high speed left and right handers, which are then followed by a double apex corner. There is a straight after this double apex corner, which ends in a slow left hander. Actually, that’s more than half of the track.
nelson
7th April 2017, 10:32
yes sepang is great circiut better then shanhgai baku sochhi,bahrein i abu dhabi,
ferrox glideh (@ferrox-glideh)
7th April 2017, 18:28
Sepang is second only behind Suzuka as being the best of the middle and far eastern F1 tracks, in my estimation. Too bad about the politics, but now there room in the calendar for France and Germany to try and host a GP again.
miki
7th April 2017, 6:38
damn i really miss this track i hope it comes back soon it really has a flow and challenge which i enjoy in rf and rf2. Its a Tilke best track before he decided to pursue the 90 deg slow speed corners
Robert McKay
7th April 2017, 6:50
Good thing they didn’t invest in turning it into a night race as there was talk of a couple of years back.
Unicron (@unicron2002)
7th April 2017, 7:04
Gutted but thanks Sepang, it’s been fun.
Friederike (@rike)
7th April 2017, 7:11
Wait… German race in 2018? Which circuit?
Kalun
7th April 2017, 8:11
The modified Hockemhiem Ring.
nase
7th April 2017, 9:00
@rike
Hockenheim. This year’s race was predictably cancelled, as it was the Nürburgring’s turn, so next year’s return was rather predictable as well.
Jeffrey (@jeffreyj)
7th April 2017, 10:23
I have to say, I like the Nurnburgring much better than the current version of the Hockenheimring.
nase
7th April 2017, 12:08
@jeffreyj
I wholeheartedly agree with you. Old Hockenheim was special, the twisty final sector was insanely challenging with the inevitable low-downforce setups.
New Hockenheim is a travesty. Medium-downforce, medium-everything, corners are nothing but painted lines on a tarmac ocean.
Nürburgring is a nice track with a challenging, flowing layout. I’d be so glad if the fortunes of these circuits were reversed.
Friederike (@rike)
7th April 2017, 12:08
I still hope, the new owner seems to get more cooperative, since the classic festival ( rock am ring) returns this year too, after being held at a different location for four years, because the new ownership didn’t want it there anymore
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
7th April 2017, 11:54
I’m sure FOM didn’t want to lose Malaysia and I’m sure Bratches worried at this denial otherwise he wouldn’t have said anything about Germany and France. I don’t think it’s part of an attempt to bring F1 back to the viewership, I think at this stage not being able to strike any deal is ominous of the absence of Bernie, regardless of whether that has anything to do with it or not.
I’m sorry but I’d rather keep Malaysia than get a French and a German GP. We sometimes miss the historic races and f1’s core is europe but not only the malaysian GP was a great event but it was also about to become 20, 20 years in Asia with that race.
montreal95 (@montreal95)
7th April 2017, 15:37
@peartree Really? You’d rather keep Sepang than France+Germany? Not many would agree with you. Can’t see the logic in that
Ronald (@mosquito)
7th April 2017, 17:11
Why not. I completely agree for as far as it concerns Germany. Sepang is so much better than Hockenheimring, with much more exciting racing.
I just want to wait and see how the French GP will work out. Until than, Sepang will be deerly missed!
Alianora La Canta (@alianora-la-canta)
7th April 2017, 22:31
Liberty wants 25 races a year, so as far as it is concerned, it’s not either/or – it wants Malaysia and France and Germany and 4 other races (at least 2 of which would be in the USA in its ideal calendar).
ferrox glideh (@ferrox-glideh)
7th April 2017, 18:31
Maybe Liberty isn’t as comfortable as Bernie was when dealing with autocratic governments?
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
7th April 2017, 22:16
@ferrox-glideh Maybe, I think they rather nuke them. @montreal95 That’s not what Bratches said, still my opinion is the same, new Hockenheim is lacklustre, new-ish Nurburgring is unspectacular, Magny-cours is dull and finally Paul Ricard is barren. I’d say most would agree with me. I’d say most youngsters can recall more malaysian gp’s than German and French Gp’s. Having a French and a German Gp for the sake of it, is pointless to me.
montreal95 (@montreal95)
9th April 2017, 20:36
@peartree I don’t disagree with you that based on the quality of the circuit Sepang is better than any current F1 grade German or French circuits. So is Istanbul. And where is it now? As great a circuit Sepang is it’s in a country that doesn’t care about F1. German and French GP being in Europe are in the heartland of F1 support. Like it or not, most F1 fans are located in Europe. If you lose the heartland, you lose the sport. Fans who are younger than 25, may well remember more Malaysian GP’s than German or French ones, but if you run a poll of which races F1 must have in the calendar(like as part of the global poll Autosport is conducting right now with well over 100k votes so there must be some young people voting too), the inevitable results are circuits in Europe plus Suzuka. There’s a reason for that, one that seemingly you cannot understand: tradition matters. Even to young fans. A clear example of that is from American sports. American sports franchises can move from city to city and frequently they do. But the franchises that have the most amount of fans(which of course makes them more valuable commercially) are those who hadn’t moved for 50, 60 or in some cases 100 years. The lesson from that is clear.
Diego (@ironcito)
7th April 2017, 7:12
They axe one of the best races on the calendar while they keep some awful, boring ones like Monaco.
Lustigson
7th April 2017, 7:16
Or Barcelona, for that matter. Horrible track for racing.
Michael Brown (@)
7th April 2017, 8:08
Valencia should be the Spanish Grand Prix
TheLeggacy
7th April 2017, 10:24
Valencia, really? I thought it was the most boring track ever, I don’t really like street circuits, Valencia was the worst. The most exciting thing that happened there was Webber flipping the car.
Shaun Robinson (@)
7th April 2017, 12:44
Agree. But one of my favourite races was there (mainly because it was so unexpected). 2012 Alonso charging from the middle of the grid to win it – brilliant. But yeah the track was dull, flat, everything looked the same, too narrow. I liked the last sector but only for playing on the xbox!
MrF1GuyV12POWAHHH (@)
7th April 2017, 8:45
Atleast Monaco is challenging. Sochi would be a great example of an awful boring track
Alec Glen (@alec-glen)
7th April 2017, 9:28
Yep, Sochi slotted right into the Valencia slot for seaside car park track.
Todfod (@todfod)
7th April 2017, 10:28
Let’s not forget Abu Dhabi. The only track as rubbish as Baku.
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
7th April 2017, 12:07
@todfod Hey half of Baku was the best race of the season, the other half was a bit dull and there was some big gaps, but overall the race was dogged by criticizing the Azerbaijan rather than an interesting street circuit and actual racing, I know Lewis was on an off weekend and that Nico won again, no excuse though.
I’m seeing south americans don’t like european races, you see FOM not every viewer is european. I love Monaco and although barcelona is dreadful it’s been there for almost 30 years.
mfreire
7th April 2017, 14:27
Do you know anything about F1 history? Monaco is only on the calendar because it’s the most important race on the calendar, and they don’t have to pay a hosting fee. That is a race that has been run since 1929- only the French, Italian and German GP’s have run consistently longer than that.
Diego (@ironcito)
7th April 2017, 21:03
I don’t believe in “we must do it because we’ve always done it”. I don’t care if they’ve been racing there since 800 BC, if it’s a boring circuit with zero overtaking, I want it out.
mfreire
7th April 2017, 21:37
Monaco is probably the farthest thing from a boring circuit on the current F1 calendar, other than Spa and Suzuka. Sure, it is tight as hell and it is practically impossible to overtake (it has always been that way), and that’s probably why you don’t like it. But I cannot think of a single circuit more challenging to drive than that one, and it is one of those tracks that is great just to see F1 cars drive around there. And also it’s an important race for sponsors, as there are many big parties and events to attend there.
mfreire
7th April 2017, 21:38
*single current F1 circuit more challenging to drive than that one
Diego (@ironcito)
8th April 2017, 6:32
I won’t be driving or going to the parties. I watch it on TV, and it’s boring as hell.
montreal95 (@montreal95)
7th April 2017, 15:39
@ironcito Monaco is not boring. Sepang is in a country that doesn’t care about F1. Next.
ferrox glideh (@ferrox-glideh)
7th April 2017, 18:32
Monaco is sometimes predictable, but never boring.
Matthijs (@matthijs)
7th April 2017, 7:19
So last year Malaysia changed 9 corners to improve overtaking for F1 (MotoGP does not need that) and get axed a year later. Classy.
Matthijs (@matthijs)
7th April 2017, 7:21
Edit, it was their own choice.
Sumedh
7th April 2017, 7:57
Yep, bad decision there. But this decision makes sense. At least, they are not throwing good money after bad.
montreal95 (@montreal95)
7th April 2017, 15:43
@matthijs The decision to modify the corners was made probably as the last attempt to save F1 in Sepang. But it didn’t help attendance figures. Clearly Malaysia doesn’t care about F1 anymore, if it ever did. Same as Turkey, unfortunately, a great track but not in a relevant place for F1
Alianora La Canta (@alianora-la-canta)
7th April 2017, 22:38
It did the first two years – the stands were practically full. Then they got moved to the start of the season… (The move back didn’t work because by then Singapore was on the scene).
montreal95 (@montreal95)
9th April 2017, 20:41
@alianora-la-canta I don’t think you can learn anything from the first 2 GP’s in operation at any track. The novelty brings fans but it eventually wears off. These masses of fans, were, IMO, were proven to be the fans of novelty, not fans of F1 proper.
Alianora La Canta (@alianora-la-canta)
10th April 2017, 8:46
True. However, moving a race substantially in the calendar is in and of itself a confunding factor – for example, Turkey’s audience shrank enormously when it was moved from its mid-season slot to the week of university finals.
sean
7th April 2017, 8:02
no, no, no, no, damn it, i loved sepang :(
Kalun
7th April 2017, 8:14
Sepang is definitely a modern classic track. It will be missed.
Todfod (@todfod)
7th April 2017, 10:27
Completely agree. The best of the Tilkedromes and by far the best race in Asia. Surprised that Liberty didn’t manage this one better.
beneboy (@beneboy)
7th April 2017, 12:12
@todfod
Isn’t Suzuka in Asia ?
Can’t think of many races anywhere that come close to that for producing great races.
Todfod (@todfod)
8th April 2017, 6:24
@beneboy
Yep. Although it’s a classic track, I can’t remember a really entertaining race I’ve seen at Suzuka since 2005.
Philip (@philipgb)
7th April 2017, 8:47
They don’t market these events enough internationally. My friend had just gone to China and its cost him about the same as a weekend to Silverstone.
NewVerstappenFan (@jureo)
7th April 2017, 11:45
Hehe, and he gets to see China.
Ian Stephens (@ians)
7th April 2017, 22:09
But he doesn’t get to see much F1 practice!!!
Mashiat
7th April 2017, 13:18
@philipgb The Malaysian GP would probably cost half, as it has the cheapest F1 tickets on the calendar, the hotels are really cheap (I’m talking about the best ones) and the experience is amazing.
ferrox glideh (@ferrox-glideh)
7th April 2017, 18:36
I have that sinking feeling, like I’ve just missed the boat.
Stephen Crowsen (@drycrust)
7th April 2017, 9:26
I can’t but help wonder suspect F1 races are stuck behind the Pay Wall.
James Brickles (@brickles)
7th April 2017, 10:40
If it means that France and Germany get to return on the F1 calendar, two countries with tremendous history in F1, then O.K, fine.
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
7th April 2017, 12:13
@brickles Really? Is that what we want? Internet might have not reached f1 a long time ago but globalization did. World Championship huh. I guess it’s a generational thing, new generations tend to get drawn and tangled by history, history they’ve never experienced, ancient relations.
montreal95 (@montreal95)
7th April 2017, 15:50
@peartree Yes, really. Sepang is nothing in F1 terms. France and Germany are everything in F1 terms. You can’t have a house without foundations, and you can’t have a successful sport, without it routs, history, legends. It’s the same in football, basketball, baseball, rugby, etc. etc. You can’t have F1 based on Sepang, Abu Dhabi and Bahrein. Globalization is a business term, without a soul. A sport is based on passionate fans who will follow it. No fans=no F1.
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
7th April 2017, 22:27
@montreal95 Quite the opposite. Sport breaks all barriers. History is earned, not unsubstantiated. Brazil has nothing to do with football’s origins, but they’ve become a foundation of football and the record holders for the most world cup titles. Why compete every year, every competition if you don’t want to conqquer your opponents, you just want to win. Next thing you’re saying you want Real Madrid, Barcelona, Man Utd, Liverpool etc getting a straight pass to CL, just because they’re historic teams.
montreal95 (@montreal95)
9th April 2017, 21:10
@peartree Sports breaks all barriers? That’s a pipe dream, a manifesto of IOC that has been proven wrong time and time again. In fact most of the time sport, competitive sport, is just a projection of politics, like countries counting medals at Olympics as part of the national pride(and using doping to achieve them).
Brazil is completely wrong example. They became a part of football folklore because they were exceptionally good at it, and because the Brazilan public embraced football like it was they who invented it. The only thing Malaysia has is a track in F1 terms, no drivers, no passionate fans, no real motorsport infrastructure, nothing. And still by the way, the Premiership is the best league in the world despite its national team not winning anything for 50 years. How does the Brazilian league compare?
About those teams you’ve mentioned, they usually get into the CL anyway because they have the fans=they are attractive to sponsors=they get lots of money=they have the best players. It’s as simple as that. Sport is about the fans. And who are the majority of fans? Not the globalist, “citizens of the world”, cosmopolitan “children of globalization” that’s for sure. These types are the minority anyway. Most fans(read:most of the public)do care about tradition and about their country.
To summarize: I like Sepang very much, but Germany and France are more important to F1. You cannot just parachute a track into some motorsport tradition lacking country and expect the support to come from nowhere. You need to build from the ground up. The great Maracana stadium was built because of the football enthusiasts at the Copacabana beach and not the other way round.
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
10th April 2017, 2:36
@montreal95 Have you looked up sports on the dictionary. I’m not speaking of professional sports, which is an antithesis, sport is not professional sport is amateur. Sport’s definitions has diluted over time, the olympics are a good example, in the old days only amateurs were qualified for participation now in the last games, even Boxing has turned pro.
ferrox glideh (@ferrox-glideh)
7th April 2017, 18:43
Every generation comes to terms with history in its own way. The fact that F1 can actually boast a rich enough historical context to attract new fans is impressive, and sets the stage for a prolonged popularity.
@johnmilk
7th April 2017, 11:40
Hamilton will surely be mad about this decision, it should have happened a year ago
Jere (@jerejj)
7th April 2017, 21:01
+1
NewVerstappenFan (@jureo)
7th April 2017, 11:44
Good, room for more races.
Strontium (@strontium)
7th April 2017, 13:40
As one my favourite circuits I am sad, but I’m happy that they have been able to make this decision not to pay the ridiculous fee to host a race, rather than being swung to pay by FOM’s agenda.
Hopefully they might return in years to come. For the time being, quite when you don’t need F1, rather than when F1 doesn’t need you.
Strontium (@strontium)
7th April 2017, 17:17
*quit
SatchelCharge (@satchelcharge)
7th April 2017, 13:47
Terrible news for me.
mfreire
7th April 2017, 14:23
Ever since Singapore came around, the Malaysian GP has been expendable, in my opinion. Maybe Sepang can be used as a test track or something, but I for one am glad it’s off the calendar for next year.
sean
7th April 2017, 15:20
how’s that? singapore is as interesting as watching paint dry (in night)
montreal95 (@montreal95)
7th April 2017, 15:52
Singapore is not remotely as good as Sepang. Peculiar spectacle and a unique race to be sure but not an interesting layout by any means.
mfreire
7th April 2017, 21:44
Singapore’s a better event. Sepang is definitely better for actual on-track action, but there is room for improvement in Singapore (they should change the layout, it’s definitely anti-racing) and the fact that it takes place at night makes it even more spectacular an event. Another good thing about Singapore is that it is the most physically demanding race of the year, and F1 needs a race or two like that- but the layout is definitely not conducive to on-track action.
Strontium (@strontium)
7th April 2017, 23:30
Personally I thought the 2013–14 layout was perfect for racing . I understand why they changed it since, but I think the changes have actually had the opposite effect (of improving the racing).
montreal95 (@montreal95)
7th April 2017, 15:55
I’m sad Sepang’s gone. I loved the layout and the all-round technical and physical challenge it presented. But for the moment it’s the right decision. You can’t justify having a race without fan base. Maybe, if Liberty manages to reverse the trend of declining F1 popularity, the Malaysian GP can return in the future
mfreire
7th April 2017, 21:47
I never much liked Sepang’s layout. Like nearly all Tilkedromes most of it seemed awkward. There were a number of sections that should have been faster or bypassed.
Strontium (@strontium)
7th April 2017, 23:32
I thought sector three was a bad attempt at linking the end of the track back to the start. The back-straight is fine, but the corners before that always seemed out of place. Other than that I loved the layout. It had a great mix of corners and fast and slow flows
Mark G (@)
7th April 2017, 16:07
I wonder whether this will affect Petronas’ future in F1 and how it might then impact on Mercedes. They were involved in F1 before Sepang arrived on the calendar but Malaysia is their main market as far as I’m aware, with Mercedes running special Syntium branding on theirs cars at this event.
ferrox glideh (@ferrox-glideh)
7th April 2017, 18:50
You raise a very good point about Patronas. I imagine that their technical involvement with Mercedes has been a key part of their recent success in years. Surely this relationship is set to change in some way.
ferrox glideh (@ferrox-glideh)
7th April 2017, 18:50
(success in recent years)
sato113 (@sato113)
7th April 2017, 16:31
So happy I had the chance to experience attending the GP in 2015. Amazing place… :)
Dan_the_McLaren_fan (@dan_the_mclaren_fan)
7th April 2017, 16:56
I’ve always wanted to attend this race. It’s this year or never I guess…
Peppermint-Lemon (@)
7th April 2017, 18:24
Ditch China after the debacle today, renegotiate better terms for KL.
Markp
7th April 2017, 19:24
Shame but a hang over form the Bernie era. Still 21 races next year. Would be nice if when contracts are up for renewal citcuits get a fairer deal and maybe we can have somewhere like Imola back.
Jay Menon (@jaymenon10)
7th April 2017, 22:53
Was pretty gutted to hear this news. Sepang is one of the best tracks on the calendar, its really unfortunate.