Malaysian F1 fans vent fury over sales process, organisers cite ‘high traffic’

The Sepang International Circuit is hosting the race for the first time since 2017 as the Bahrain leg was cancelled due to the Iran war

Malaysian Formula One (F1) fans hoping to catch the sport’s one-off return to Sepang International Circuit (SIC) after almost a decade are facing a frustrating race of their own, with many complaining of confusing ticketing arrangements and broken links.

Tickets for the Formula One Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, to be held at Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit from October 2 to 4, went on sale on Thursday, triggering a scramble among local fans eager to attend the country’s first F1 race since 2017.

The Bahrain race was moved to Malaysia after the original event at the Sakhir circuit was cancelled due to security concerns arising from the Iran-US war. The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah was also cancelled in April for the same reason.

Checks by This Week in Asia showed that no ticket sales are listed on the SIC’s official website, while tickets in some categories on the official F1 channels appear to be sold out.

Malaysian fans have complained about how tickets for the relocated race are sold, expressing frustration on social media about the difficulties navigating official sales channels and confusion over payment finalisation.

Tickets for the October race range from 200 ringgit (US$48) to 2,083 ringgit (US$510) for Malaysian nationals, while international spectators are offered tickets priced between US$218.90 and US$566.05.