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F1 fever must not cloud judgement

The Bahrain F1 held at Sepang brought great excitement – but does that justify an annual event here? We need to think rationally and not race blindly into it.

The Star MalaysiaWong Chun Wai2026-10-17 23:00查看原文 ↗

Speedy thrills: Eventual race winner Max Verstappen leading the field at the start of the race in Sepang on Oct 4. Will the thrill continue if Malaysia begins hosting F1 regularly again? — GLENN GUAN/The Star

THE excitement after the spectacular race at Sepang is understandable, but before Malaysia welcomes Formula 1 back on a permanent basis, we need to know whether the numbers add up.

After nine years away from the F1 calendar, Sepang once again became the centre of international motorsport attention when it hosted the Bahrain Grand Prix from Oct 2 to 4.

Wong Chun Wai began his career as a journalist in Penang and served Star Media Group for nearly four decades in various capacities and roles. He was group editorial and corporate affairs adviser to the group, after having served as group managing director/chief executive officer. "On The Beat" debuted on Feb 23, 1997. Chun Wai has penned the column weekly without a break, except for occasional press holidays when the paper was not published. In May 2011, a compilation of selected articles of On The Beat was published as a book and launched in conjunction with his 50th birthday. Chun Wai also comments on current issues in The Star. He is now chairman of national news agency Bernama.

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