KUALA LUMPUR, July 28 — Malaysia is not facing a shortage of experienced personnel or marshals to officiate Formula One (F1) races, as the accreditation of motorsports officials is renewed annually.
Motorsports Association of Malaysia (MAM) president Tan Sri Mokhzani Mahathir said that although Sepang last hosted an F1 race in 2017, the country's pool of technical personnel remains highly capable.
"There are many experienced people in Malaysia. We authorise those who are qualified to serve as marshals, but if there is a shortage, we will bring in lecturers or experienced personnel to conduct refresher courses for all Sepang International Circuit (SIC) officials," he told Bernama.
He said MAM's current role is to coordinate the implementation of all regulations and standards set by the International Automobile Federation (FIA), including ensuring compliance with safety requirements and the readiness of the circuit, participants and spectators before an F1 race can be held.
"Actually, SIC has been well maintained even without F1. Other events, including MotoGP, ensure the Sepang Circuit remains in excellent condition. Maintenance has been very good, so preparing it for F1 will not be difficult, and there is sufficient time," he said.
'Extraordinary opportunity'
Mokhzani described the return of F1 as an "extraordinary opportunity" for Malaysia, as the bulk of the hosting costs will be borne by Bahrain.
"The current opportunity is extraordinary because a large part of the cost of staging F1 will be borne by the other party. We are simply the hosts.
"The costs are indeed high for them (Bahrain), but we will host the event. This opportunity came unexpectedly. We must ensure that SIC is fully prepared to be an excellent host for Bahrain because they have placed their trust in us," he said.
Earlier, F1 confirmed Malaysia as the host of the Bahrain Grand Prix following an agreement between F1, the FIA, and the Malaysian and Bahraini governments.
The race, scheduled to be held at SIC from October 2 to 4, will retain its original name, the F1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, subject to final approvals, including from the FIA World Motor Sport Council.
The agreement allows the Bahrain Grand Prix to remain on the 2026 F1 calendar after the race was cancelled earlier this season due to geopolitical tensions in West Asia.
Malaysia previously hosted the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang from 1999 to 2017 before the race was dropped from the F1 calendar.
