A lot of new venues are popping up and putting their name in contention in the rat race for Formula 1 hosting rights. Cities are investing millions and paying millions just to bring the most popular circus in the world to their backyard, such is the popularity of F1 currently. Las Vegas and Miami have been recent street circuit additions to the calendar. Now, with Madrid already getting the green light, another old venue is planning to stage a comeback. We are talking about the Malaysian GP which has been absent since 2017 but will get a mega push to become a part of the calendar again in 2026.

Reports on Reuters suggest the track is staging a comeback which currently hosts MotoGP and other motor sport competitions. The venue was discontinued only because of the low ticket sales and rising costs of hosting an F1 Grand Prix. However, now the scenario has changed and the track will get massive financial backing from Mercedes’ title sponsor.

Kuala Lumpur-based oil and gas company National Petroleum Limited, more commonly known as Petronas, is the driving force behind reintroducing the Malaysian GP on the F1 calendar. Mercedes’ title sponsor is aiming to become part of the packed calendar in 2026 because Petronas recently secured the naming rights to the Sepang International Circuit (SIC). So to bring F1 back to the circuit with Petronas’ name on it will be of great interest to the team which already has a presence in the sport since 2013 with Mercedes.

The plan was revealed during a company meeting led by the firm’s President and CEO Tengku Muhammad Taufik Tengku Aziz on Tuesday, an unnamed source revealed. The race tested an appearance on the 2022 calendar as well. However, Malaysia’s sports minister refuted the idea labeling hosting duties as “too expensive” and elaborating, “If we could host an F1 race, we already would have done it – but for now, we can’t afford to have races.”

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However, with Petronas securing the naming rights for three years in October 2023, they will make a push to bring F1 back to Malaysia. Now we are not sure if Mercedes’ title sponsor will be able to attract the circus to their city but we can tell you in the words of Lewis Hamilton what to expect if they do manage to secure a spot on the busy calendar.

Lewis Hamilton reveals his experience with the first-ever Malaysian GP

Hamilton has been part of the circus for 16 years before he even begins racing in 2024. Having been with the sport for so long, the Brit has seen everything, experienced everything, and come out on top. So asking someone with such a wealth of experience which is the hardest race they’ve ever raced gives an insight not only in their career but also the characteristics of a track.

This is exactly why the Malaysian GP is so memorable because speaking about the race from his debut season, Hamilton confessed, “It was the hardest race, I think.”

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“My first race here in 2007, I lost—I think it was 4 1/2 kg or something like that, might be more.” The enormity of the physical toll he endured becomes apparent as he further describes, “I could barely stand up; it was killer. It is such a difficult circuit. I do miss racing here,” he added.

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Hamilton made this admission in 2023, so perhaps by 2026, his team’s title sponsor Petronas might make his wish come true of racing in Malaysia again. Whether he sticks around with Mercedes or in the sport till 2026 is a different story altogether.