#29 Sepang, Selangor



District: Sepang
Towns in the district: Bandar Sepang, Bandar Baru Bangi, Bandar Baru Salak Tinggi, Bandar Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Sepang, Bandar Sungai Merab, Pekan Dengkil, Pekan Salak, Pekan Sungai Pelek etc
Last time I was there: Just last week! (April, 2026)


The story:
Two things come to mind when Sepang is mentioned: the airport and the F1 circuit.
Ah yes -- the Malaysian Grand Prix. Looking back, it still feels surreal how my own F1 journey began... and ended.

In 1999, when Formula 1 first arrived in Sepang, I was freelancing alongside my day job and somehow landed the cover story for the now-defunct KLIA magazine. That came with a press pass -- and suddenly, I was right in the middle of history.

Everything felt new. The buzz was electric. The season itself was already dramatic: Michael Schumacher returning from injury, Eddie Irvine leading Ferrari, and Mika Häkkinen chasing the title. By the time F1 reached Sepang for the penultimate race, the stage was perfectly set.



Schumacher’s comeback drew huge attention, with media swarming him at every turn -- I never did get that clean shot with my trusty Kodak. But I managed a photo with Mika, my all-time favourite, and even a sit-down with Sir Jackie Stewart. For a motorsports fan, that was gold.

What stood out most was the precision and scale -- this was a world-class sporting spectacle done right.
Then came the race: Ferrari finished 1–2, got disqualified, then reinstated. Pure F1 drama, right from the start.

Over the years, I attended many Malaysian GPs. Having F1 in our backyard was something I took pride in -- seeing “Malaysia” on the calendar always sparked conversations, even overseas.



Sepang gave us thrilling races, though not without its challenges -- like the 2009 washout that ended early as daylight faded. The so-called “twilight race” didn’t quite go to plan.

The final race in 2017 -- the “F1nale” -- felt inevitable, yet quietly heartbreaking.

All good things come to an end. Still, it’s strange not seeing Malaysia on the Formula 1 calendar anymore.

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