Registration fee waived for Malaysia’s hosting of F1 race: Anwar
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Discussions were held with Bahrain to reduce the fee, culminating in it being waived altogether.
PHOTO: BERITA HARIAN
- Malaysia will host the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang with the multi-million ringgit registration fee waived, costing only about RM16 million (S$5.05 million) for minor circuit upgrades.
- The arrangement was made possible through royal diplomacy between Malaysian King Ibrahim Iskandar Sultan Ibrahim and Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, reflecting strong bilateral ties.
- The race aims to boost Malaysia's global profile, with F1 leaders confident in Malaysia's peace, stability, and efficient administration to manage the event professionally.
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TAMPIN/KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia will host the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix in 2026 at a fraction of the cost, with the multimillion-ringgit registration fee waived, says Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
Anwar said the government would need to spend only an estimated RM16 million (S$5.05 million) on minor upgrades to the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) ahead of the Oct 2 to 4 event.
“We will organise it without paying the registration fee to the Formula One company. It is free.
“Even if there is some expenditure, it will only be to slightly improve the racing track, which is currently being used for motor vehicles, motorcycles and other activities.
“I estimate that it will cost between RM10 million and RM16 million,” he said during his speech at the Semarak Kenegaraan programme at the Syed Sirajuddin army camp in Gemas on July 27.
He said Malaysia had previously spent hundreds of millions of ringgit when hosting Formula One races, with the country’s last grand prix held in Sepang in 2017.
Anwar said his initial response when approached about staging the race was to prioritise pressing public concerns, including the cost of living, housing and other welfare issues.
He said discussions were then held with Bahrain to reduce the fee, culminating in it being waived altogether.
The Prime Minister attributed the arrangement partly to the close relationship between Malaysian King, Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, and Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.
Separately, according to a post on Sultan Ibrahim’s official Facebook page, the kings have since 2017 enjoyed a close personal friendship, which has continued to strengthen diplomatic ties between Bahrain and Malaysia, culminating in Sultan Ibrahim’s state visit to Bahrain in November 2025.
“Following challenges to the Formula One race calendar arising from the armed conflict in West Asia, the staging of the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix faced uncertainty and required an immediate solution to ensure the prestigious race could proceed.
“In an effort to find a solution, the King of Bahrain had a conversation with the King of Malaysia (via phone).
“The discussion carried out in a warm and friendly manner marked the beginning of strategic cooperation between the Malaysian and Bahrain governments, Formula One and the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA),” it said.
It added that as a result, a mutual understanding was reached and an agreement was secured to stage the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix at the SIC.
“The announcement of Sepang Circuit as the host venue for the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix has been well received, particularly by Formula One fans in Malaysia and across the region.
“It has created a significant chapter in history that reflects the strong royal diplomatic ties between Sultan Ibrahim and King Hamad,” it said.
Anwar said Malaysia was also selected from among dozens of countries because of its peace and stability, efficient administration and strong infrastructure.
“The secret is that this country remains peaceful because of the strength of the armed forces, police and all our security agencies.
“Secondly, it is because our administration is efficient,” he said.
Anwar added that Formula One’s leadership had contacted him on July 26, and he gave an assurance that Malaysia was capable of managing the event professionally.
The race is expected to draw global attention to Malaysia, with leading drivers, advanced racing cars and thousands of engineers travelling to Sepang, he said.
In mid-March, the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix, originally scheduled for April, were postponed following the war in the Middle East.
This resulted in this season’s racing calendar being reduced from 24 to 22 races.
According to reports, if the final two races of the season in Qatar on Nov 29 and Abu Dhabi on Dec 6 cannot proceed because of the conflict in West Asia, F1 management was considering several alternative venues.
As a result, the reports said, Malaysia and Turkey were among the candidates touted to host the race on Oct 4.
SIC previously hosted the Malaysian Grand Prix from 1999 to 2017 before it was removed from the calendar due to rising hosting costs and licensing fees. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
