Popular MotoGP circuit urged to prove "it's not a waste" to keep its funding

The Sepang International Circuit is being urged by a Malaysian sports minister to prove the annual MotoGP event is “not a waste” to continue to receive funding.

MotoGP has been racing in Malaysia for over 30 years, having first visited the country in 1991 when the grand prix was held at Shah Alam.

It remained at Shah Alam until 1997 before moving to Johor in 1998, and then to its permanent home of Sepang from 1999.

Since 1991, only two seasons haven’t featured a visit to Malaysia, with the 2020 and 2021 editions cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

MotoGP is currently contracted to race at Sepang until the end of 2026, with discussions reportedly underway between the circuit and the series about an extension.

According to FMT in Malaysia, sports minister Hannah Yeoh is urging Sepang to prove MotoGP is a sustainable investment for the government and provides long-term benefits for local people.

“When we invest, we are not signing only in terms of tourism,” Yeoh said at an event in Putrajaya.

“It should support the economy and job opportunities for Malaysians.

“So, that’s why data collection is important, and SIC must ensure that all this is recorded to convince the finance ministry that it is not a waste.”

Yeoh claims the MotoGP event generates around 4500 temporary jobs every year, but she wants to see longer-term skills transfer from this to Malaysians.

Last year’s Malaysian Grand Prix welcomed a weekend total of 184,923 spectators across the weekend and was one of the best-attended events of the 2024 season.

In recent years, Sepang has regularly attracted crowds of over 170,000, with last year’s the highest figure in the data available shared to the media by Dorna.

It is due to be the third-from-last round of the 2025 campaign and will take place from 24 October to 26 October.