KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia must do things differently if it decides to once again host Formula One races at the Petronas Sepang International Circuit, says Motorsports Association of Malaysia (MAM) president Tan Sri Mokhzani Mahathir.
Mokhzani said the Sepang Circuit, which hosted Formula One between 1999 to 2017, remains a firm favourite among teams in the paddock.
But he stressed that the race can no longer be held as it was in the past as times have changed.
"I was in Singapore recently for their Formula One race and spoke to some of the teams competing there," said Mokhzani when met at Sepang today.
"All of them asked me when Sepang was going to host Formula One again because they enjoy racing and being here. Sepang is a properly designed Formula One track which is very challenging for both man and machine.
"Maybe if we ever get the opportunity to host it again, we should do things differently. Formula One is no longer about watching 20 cars go around the track, it is so much more today.
"We need to have more (side) events complementing the grand prix both at the track and in the city during the race weekend. Conferences and concerts are now part and parcel of a Formula One weekend.
"We could also host the race at night under the lights when it is cooler. Bahrain has gone from a day to a night race and has proven that it is not impossible to do."
Mokhzani, however, warned that it will not be cheap nor easy to bring back Formula One to Malaysia.
The government decided to drop Formula One in 2017 due to the competition's dwindling popularity, both here and abroad, as well as the high costs involved in hosting the race.
Formula One has, however, enjoyed a substantial boost in popularity since 2021, much of it has been credited to the highly successful Netflix programme Drive to Survive, which is in its sixth season this year.
"The feasibility and viability of it (hosting Formula One here) is always about having the right combination of sponsors from both the private and public sector," said Mokhzani.
"The popularity of Formula One has improved tremendously over the past three years but so has the price (of hosting it). F1 as a business entity realise their value, especially after the success of Drive to Survive.
"I believe the hosting fee has gone up quite significantly since the time we ended our contract in 2017.
"And trying to find a slot in the calendar will not be easy. There are over 20 rounds each season now and to get in, we have to wait for a country to drop out.
"And I know there are countries in the region who are trying to bid (to host) Formula One. So there is a queue and I do not think we will be at the front of that queue."
Countries that host Formula One currently pay between US$20 million (RM83 million) to over US$50 million (RM207 million) hosting fees to Formula One owner Liberty Media for each edition.
The amount of hosting fees Malaysia had to pay in the past is unknown, but in 2016 it was reported that it costs roughly RM300 million to host the race, including costs besides hosting fees, at Sepang each year.
Mokhzani was speaking after the launch of the inaugural MAM Malaysia Festival of Speed event at Sepang Circuit today.
The Festival of Speed will be held at Sepang Circuit from Oct 18-20 and will feature competitions in seven disciplines - karting (sprint, slalom), rallying, simulator racing, pocket bike and gymkhana for both cars and motorbikes.
The event is being organised by MAM with support from the Youth and Sports Ministry as well as Sepang International Circuit (SIC) with the objective of providing a platform for novice competitors to test their skills.