F1 Back For Good? Anwar Says Malaysian GP Return Will Be Discussed By Cabinet

Formula 1's return to Sepang may not be a one-off after all. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has confirmed that Malaysia is exploring the possibility of bringing the Malaysian Grand Prix back permanently, with the proposal set to be discussed by the Cabinet.

Anwar said he met Formula 1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali before the race at Sepang, where the pair discussed the prospect of restoring Malaysia as a permanent stop on the F1 calendar.

That's quite a development considering F1 only returned to Sepang this weekend after a nine-year absence.

Anwar stressed that the process will take time. Formula 1 already operates a packed calendar and has existing contractual commitments with current host countries.

The government will also have to decide whether bringing F1 back makes financial and economic sense for Malaysia.

According to Anwar, the prospect of restoring the Malaysian GP will be brought before the Cabinet to examine what options are available and what direction Malaysia should take.

Any decision would need to consider both the country's financial capability and the potential benefits F1 could bring to the economy and Malaysians.

Speaking after Sunday's race, Anwar had already confirmed that discussions about hosting F1 again had begun, although he cautioned that they remained at an early stage.

His subsequent remarks now give us a clearer picture.

This isn't a confirmed Malaysian GP comeback, and there is no deal yet.

But Malaysia is no longer merely asking whether F1 should return. The possibility has now been discussed directly with Formula 1's leadership and is heading for consideration at Cabinet level.

There is another encouraging sign for Malaysian F1 fans. Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) president Mohammed Ben Sulayem says the possibility of Malaysia returning permanently remains open.

But doing so would require serious planning. Ben Sulayem said Malaysia would need a business plan covering at least five years, including how the event would be financed, promoted and handled logistically.

He also praised the investment and improvements made at Sepang International Circuit (SIC), while indicating that Formula One Management is open to the possibility of Malaysia returning.

The FIA president nevertheless stressed that Malaysia first needs to determine whether hosting F1 genuinely serves the country's interests and fits its economic and tourism policies.

Then there's the calendar itself. F1 currently runs 24 races, while regulations allow the championship to expand to 25. Ben Sulayem also pointed to existing Asia-Pacific races in Australia, China, Singapore and Japan, with geographical balance forming part of the equation.

In other words, wanting F1 back is one thing. Finding room for Malaysia is another.

If Malaysia needed to demonstrate that Sepang could still stage Formula 1, this weekend certainly gave it the opportunity.

The 2026 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix was relocated to Malaysia under extraordinary circumstances, bringing F1 back to SIC for the first time since the final Malaysian GP in 2017.

More remarkably, organisers had only around two months to get everything ready.

Domenicali subsequently praised the cooperation between SIC and Bahrain International Circuit, describing the successful staging of the relocated race within such a short timeframe as an extraordinary achievement.

The event also attracted huge spectator interest after nine years without F1 at Sepang.

That doesn't automatically make a permanent Malaysian GP commercially viable, but it does answer one important question: Sepang can still host Formula 1.

And this is where things become considerably more complicated.

As Carz examined in our earlier Malaysian GP analysis, SIC CEO Azhan Shafriman Hanif has estimated that securing a permanent F1 slot could require Malaysia to spend at least RM300 million annually.

Hosting rights alone were estimated at around US$70 million to US$80 million, before taking into account other costs involved in staging the event.

This weekend was very different. The race remained officially the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, with Bahrain carrying the massive F1 hosting-rights fee while local preparation costs were shared.

A permanent Malaysian GP would put Malaysia in a very different financial position. There are potential returns, of course. F1 can generate spending across tourism, hotels, transport, retail and other sectors.

But if Malaysia is seriously considering committing hundreds of millions of ringgit to F1 over several years, the eventual economic impact of the 2026 event will now be particularly important.

Not yet. There is currently no confirmed Malaysian Grand Prix, no announced contract and no permanent calendar slot for Sepang.

But compared with where things stood before F1 returned this weekend, the conversation has moved considerably.

Sepang has hosted F1 again. Anwar has personally discussed a permanent Malaysian GP with Stefano Domenicali and the proposal is heading to the Cabinet.

FIA president says a Malaysian return remains possible, provided the country can put together a convincing long-term business case.