KUALA LUMPUR — Formula One’s (F1) return to the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) presents Malaysia with a golden opportunity to rebuild its motorsport ecosystem, according to Malaysia’s former F1 driver Alex Yoong.

He said the F1’s return would carry greater significance if it left a lasting legacy beyond the race itself, by encouraging greater investment in grassroots motorsport, driver development and regional racing, creating a stronger pathway for Malaysian talent to progress to the highest levels of the sport.

Speaking to Bernama in an interview recently, Yoong stressed that hosting F1 must be backed by a compelling commercial case and a clear long-term vision of what the event could deliver for Malaysia beyond a single race weekend.

The championship could generate benefits, including boosting tourism, creating business opportunities and raising Malaysia’s international profile.

Yoong made history when he became Malaysia’s first F1 driver, racing for Minardi in 2001. 

He competed in 18 Grands Prix (GP) from 2001 to 2002, and currently holds the record as the only Malaysian driver to compete in F1, which is the highest class of motor racing.

He remains one of the country’s most recognisable figures in motorsport, continuing to channel his passion for the sport through his work as a motorsport broadcaster.

“As someone who has raced in F1 and spent much of my career developing motorsport in Malaysia and the region, it is great to see a track from Southeast Asia back on the world’s foremost racing calendar,” said Yoong.