Formula 1 vrooms into Sepang again after 9 years, 200,000 spectators expected

SEPANG – The Formula 1 circus has rolled into town, with racers and fans descending on Malaysia ahead of the Oct 2 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit.

Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) is bracing for a high-octane passenger rush, with some 200,000 spectators expected and Oct 4 tipped to be the busiest day.

Even the airport hotel has been fully booked, says Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) managing director Mohd Izani Ghani.

He said Sama-Sama Hotel at KLIA was fully booked to accommodate guests attending the F1 event which runs from tomorrow to Oct 4.

He added that a special task force involving Malaysia Airports and various government agencies had been formed to ensure smooth passenger flows during the three-day event.

“We are here to make sure the flow of passengers will be smooth, and we will assist as best as we can,” he told reporters when met after the welcoming reception for Gulf Air’s inaugural direct flight from Bahrain to Kuala Lumpur at KLIA’s Terminal 1 on Sept 30.

He said that Oct 4, the final day of the race, was expected to record the highest passenger volume.

“We want to make sure the flow of people coming to the event is smooth. We will facilitate parking, but we strongly encourage visitors to use public transport to avoid congestion, as parking in Kuala Lumpur is quite limited,” he said.

Izani urged visitors to use public transport to help ease congestion around the airport and the event.

Gulf Air chief executive officer Martin Gauss said the airline had added six flights specifically around the F1 weekend following strong demand for the race.

“We came with a full aircraft, so we were sold out on this aircraft. We have another six flights on the occasion of the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix this weekend,” he said.

Gauss also thanked the Malaysian and Bahraini authorities for their efforts in making the airline’s return and the F1 event possible.

“I know it was hard work from both sides to make it happen. We are very proud that Bahrain can host the Formula 1 race here in Malaysia,” he said.

He said Gulf Air hoped the F1 event would also encourage more Malaysians to visit Bahrain.

“I am looking forward to many more years of you visiting Bahrain, as we will bring hopefully also many tourists to Malaysia,” he said.

Meanwhile, Deputy Transport Minister Hasbi Habibollah said the return of Gulf Air to Malaysia will help meet growing demand for international air travel, with passenger traffic nationwide forecast to reach between 103.8 million and 109.7 million in 2026.

“The return of Gulf Air helps to meet the government’s projections and accommodate the growing demand for international travel,” he said.

Hasbi said Malaysia’s airports handled 104.5 million passengers in 2025, an 11.4% increase year-on-year, with KLIA alone processing 63.4 million passengers.

He said the government, together with Malaysia Airports, was investing in airport infrastructure and modernising passenger-processing systems to cope with growing passenger volumes.

The upgrades include advanced baggage-handling technology, automated immigration gates and terminal digitalisation to improve operational efficiency and the passenger experience at KLIA. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK