Sepang opened in 1999 as an emblem of a Southeast Asian nation that was on the up at the time. But the government ended its support for the Formula One (F1) race in 2017, closing a high-speed era that brought the eyes of tens of millions of people across the world to Malaysia.
For home-grown drivers, however, their motorsport dreams have not reached a chequered flag since F1 left Malaysia, which happened as the country’s economy slowed and the government cut the multimillion-dollar annual spend.
Instead, the country’s young stars are turning to the cheaper GT format, endurance racing and overseas championships as the cost of reaching F1 without the domestic infrastructure steeples.
For drivers like Hayden Haikal and Alister Yoong – son of Malaysia’s only F1 driver Alex Yoong – Sepang’s F1 heyday is already a distant memory.
Hayden was a child when F1 last roared in Sepang, but the 21-year-old Grand Touring (GT) racer is now making his name abroad.