KUALA LUMPUR: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad may be 99, but the former prime minister still has a need for speed.
In a post on his Facebook page yesterday, Dr Mahathir uploaded a clip of himself taking a spin at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC).
In the three-minute-long clip, Dr Mahathir pressed the pedal, reaching a speed of 154km per hour on the track.
Accompanying him was SIC's non-executive chairman, Tan Sri Mohamed Azman Yahya, who initially drove an Audi Q5.
The video showed a light moment as Azman performed stunts while Dr Mahathir looked relaxed in the passenger seat.
Dr Mahathir also playfully challenged Azman to push the car's limits, leading to a drift.
During the drive, Azman posed a question about the vision behind establishing the circuit in 1998.
Dr Mahathir said Malaysia, at the time, lacked many tourist attractions and hosting races would draw tourists from abroad.
"Also we need to entertain the people, the people want to see something. They see only on television, they want to see the real thing.
"So Basir (Tan Sri Basir Ismail, former SIC chairman) and I talked about it and we thought that it was worthwhile to invest," Dr Mahathir said.
When asked why Dr Mahathur chose Sepang, he replied: "Because we have land. For the airport (KL International Airport), we acquired 25,000 acres.
"So there's room (for the circuit), it's not too far (from the airport that was built later) and it would seem that with the land and that investment in the airport, there is the possibility of good tourists," he said.
"We run races for Porsche Carrera Cup Asia, Ferrari Challenge, for GT World Challenge Asia, they all like Sepang because it's very convenient for them," Azman said.