Forgotten Asian F1 track lining up 2026 return with Mercedes sponsor backing the project - Reports

Key Mercedes sponsor Petronas is reportedly aiming to bring Sepang back on the F1 calendar by 2026. According to reports from Reuters, the firm’s President and Chief Executive, Tengku Muhammad Taufik Tengku Aziz, revealed a plan to bring back the race during a company town hall.

The Malaysian brand and the track have a rich history in F1, while Petronas has been an omnipresent name on the grid for decades now. Before its association with Mercedes that began in 2010, the brand was partners with BMW until 2009. The Sepang International Circuit was a regular fixture on the calendar back then.

The circuit hosted F1 races from 1999 to 2017 but due to declining interest and a drop in ticket sales, the contract was discontinued. The track is still the home for MotoGP and other motorsport events but the pinnacle of four-wheel motorsports has not received the nod of some of the key decision-makers.

With Petronas putting its weight behind the event, it will be interesting to see if it returns to the calendar.

The F1 landscape has been changing in the last few years with an emphasis on more street circuits. A key reason behind that push has been the accessibility factor. Will Sepang be willing to pay the exorbitantly high fees for hosting a race? We'll have to wait to see how much of influence Petronas has in getting this done.

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Sepang played a crucial role in the 2016 F1 title battle involving Mercedes

Sepang was a regular fixture in the sport for a long time and was a destination for some of the pivotal moments in a lot of the title fights. The most recent one that stands out was in 2016 when Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg battled it out for the title.

It was in this race where it appeared that Hamilton had the title sealed as he led the race while Rosberg struggled. Unfortunately, Hamilton suffered a power unit failure that led to his retirement from the race.

The retirement handed the advantage to Rosberg who continued to lead the championship until the last race of the season before sealing the title in Abu Dhabi.

The track has also been a happy hunting ground for Max Verstappen. In 2016, he fought for the win against teammate Daniel Ricciardo only to finish second in the race.

In 2017, however, he dominated from start to finish, overtaking Lewis Hamilton along the way, and remains the last driver to win a race on this track.