SIC is still studying events recommended to replace F1

The Sepang International Circuit (SIC) is still studying numerous proposals from several parties which want SIC to organise their events to replace the Formula 1 (F1) race.

SIC chief executive officer Datuk Razlan Razali said SIC had received numerous proposals after the government announced it would no longer organise F1 races from next year.

"We are still studying them (the proposals) and we are not in a rush to organise events to replace F1. We can organise many activities on the circuit, we are still studying our choices," he told Bernama today.

After organising F1 races for 19 years from 1999, the event would come to a close in Malaysia with the final race taking place this year from Sept 29 to Oct 1.

Although, the F1 race would end in Malaysia this year, Razali said it would not result in any problem to SIC to fill the calendar of activities at the Sepang Circuit.

According to Razali, since five years ago, the activity content rate at the Sepang circuit exceeded 90 per cent.

"No problem (to fill events at the Sepang Circuit after F1 ends). Our problem is that we don''t have many days in a year, or hours in a day (to enable the circuit to be rented)," he said.

The Sepang Circuit, he said, would be completed with a lighting system at the end of the year which would enable SIC to extend the rental time by six hours more at night.

SIC, according to Raslan, had numerous alternative revenue sources other than the rental of the circuit including several facilities which would be built soon such as a hotel, theme park and others. -- Bernama