Sepang International Circuit (SIC) in Malaysia is all set to host the world’s two biggest motorsports events in the same month. This motorsports extravaganza will see the 2016 Formula 1 Malaysia Grand Prix (F1 Grand Prix) taking place from September 30 to October 2, 2016 – Round 16 of 21, while the Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix 2016 (MotoGP) will be held from October 28- 30, 2016, maintaining its position as the penultimate round of the 18-round championship.
Dato’ Razlan Razali, Chief Executive Officer, SIC said, “Sports fans in India have increasingly begun to embrace the excitement of motorsports in the recent years. The attendance of Indian visitors at the F1 Grand Prix and MotoGP has increased each year, and if we look at the numbers recorded in the past four years alone, there has been stunning growth”. In 2012, only 117 visitors from India attended the F1 Grand Prix and 22 attended the MotoGP, while by 2015, the numbers were 1,191 at the F1 Grand Prix (10 fold increase) and 827 at the MotoGP (37 times more).
Dato’ Razlan added, “There are teams and riders for patriotic fans to root for, such as Team Sahara Force India in the F1 Grand Prix and Aspar Mahindra Team Moto3 in the MotoGP’s Moto3 class. Additionally, there is Mahaveer Raghunathan racing for the Korainen GP team in the GP3 series and Ahamed Kadai Yaseen, India’s first and currently only participant in the Shell Advance Asia Talent Cup to cheer on.”
Noor Azman Samsudin, Director, Tourism Malaysia said, “It’s encouraging to see so many sports enthusiasts travelling to Malaysia. We are in talks with travel agents, SIC and the airlines to come up with special packages for the events. Besides sporting events, SIC is also a perfect venue for meetings and other gatherings. We are hoping to get a lot of inflow through our various MICE engagements as well.”
In addition to main action on the track, visitors will also be able to enjoy other activities like the Drivers’ Autograph Session, X-Track for all ages, Public Pit Lane Walk, Drivers Fan Forum, Malaysia Championship Series and the after-race concert, located at Hillstand B.
Meanwhile, the MotoGP weekend will feature the Mega MotoGP Carnival offering fans everything they could want, from souvenirs to accessories to limited edition merchandise or even a brand new bike, and other popular activities such as the Riders’ Autograph Session, Public Pit Lane Walk and the SAATC talent development championship as a support race.
