It was with the victory of Max Verstappen ahead of Lewis Hamilton that the Malaysian F1 Grand Prix ended. So the only World Championship race left at Sepang will be MotoGP, and for many that's fine.
F1 has been going to Kuala Lumpur for 19 years, when it was managed by Briton Bernie Ecclestone. The English and the Malays have had very close relations for a very long time, with intense moments experienced together such as the fall of Singapore and the fight against the Japanese during the Second World War.
F1 has just been bought by Americans, for whom Malaysia has no interest. Its sales manager Sean Bratches announced the end of the Malaysian GP when the local government publicly questioned the interest of this race for the country, and its value in relation to the rights requested. The country’s Prime Minister, Najib Razak, said: “ The Cabinet agreed to terminate the contract taking into account the diminishing benefits for the country compared to the cost of the championship ».
There will therefore be 21 F1 Grands Prix in 2018, including one in France after 10 years of absence.
We can consider that incidentally this is positive news for motorcycling, to the extent that F1 cars completely destroy the asphalt on which they run, due to enormous aerodynamic downforce. You just have to see the state of the surface in Barcelona, where the F1 cars still race.
The Motorcycle Grand Prix will take place soon in Sepang, on October 29.
