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SHAH ALAM – Ticket sales for this weekend’s Formula 1 (F1) race at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) have surged to almost 95,000, more than double the number recorded during Malaysia’s previous F1 races and on course to exceed 100,000.
SIC chief executive officer Azhan Shafriman Hanif said sales had reached close to 95,000 tickets and were expected to cross the 100,000 mark, which would make it the biggest crowd for an F1 event in the circuit’s history.
“We have close to 95,000 tickets. It’s going to cross over to 100,000, I truly believe,” he said.
Speaking on BFM 89.9’s Breakfast Grill with host Roshan Kunnison, Azhan Shafriman said previous F1 races hosted by Sepang recorded ticket sales of around 30,000 to 40,000.
“Now this is three times the amount of tickets that we have sold so far,” he said.
Azhan Shafriman attributed the sharp increase to the growth of F1’s fan base, saying the sport had changed significantly since Liberty Media took over, with its audience extending beyond traditional motorsport fans.
“These are non-motorsport fans,” he said, pointing to a “fear of missing out”, or FOMO, effect among fans.
He said the growth could also be seen among younger audiences, with children and youths increasingly following the sport and getting information through social media platforms.
“There’s a lot of interest. There’s a lot of discussion. There’s a lot of opinions that has been going around in social media,” he said.
The shift is also reflected in where spectators are buying tickets.
Azhan Shafriman said that during Malaysia’s previous F1 era from 1999 to 2017, demand was stronger for the Paddock Club, while fewer spectators opted for grandstand tickets.
“Those days, a lot of people would buy tickets in the paddock and we see less people taking up the tickets in the grandstand.
“Now I can safely say after looking at the numbers both of these areas are quite equal right now,” he said.
Azhan Shafriman said the change was part of a wider transformation in how F1 events are experienced, with the focus extending beyond the racing itself.
He said the current event would feature entertainment and activities between practice, qualifying and the race, including performances and activities in the fan zone.
“The atmosphere, the festival-like event that F1 brings as compared to before has changed,” he said.
Azhan Shafriman said the stronger demand also reflected the greater value spectators now associate with attending an F1 event, despite ticket prices being significantly higher.
“The tickets are not cheap,” he said, noting that some spectators were paying RM2,000 for a three-day grandstand ticket.
“The idea is to bring back that value or even more,” he said.
Azhan Shafriman said spectators were increasingly aware of what they were paying for and expected the event organisers and F1 to deliver an experience that matched the price.
The surge in demand provides a significant data point as Malaysia weighs the possibility of bringing the Malaysian Grand Prix back to the F1 calendar, although Shafriman stressed that any such decision would require a collective discussion involving the government, circuit and sponsors.
For now, he said the immediate focus was on delivering the current event, with the ticket numbers providing a sharp contrast to Sepang’s previous F1 era.
