Bernie bankrupts another race promoter
01/30/07 (GMM) Malaysian officials are playing down speculation that the grand prix at Sepang might fall off F1's annual calendar after its current contract expires in 2010.
It was reported recently that the southeast Asian country's government might not want to fund an extension to the deal due to the depletion of the Malaysian currency, the Ringgit.
But the purpose-built circuit's press officer insisted that Malaysia, after first hosting the sport in 1999, is likely to be one of the circus' permanent stops.
"Negotiations for the extension of the contract had already begun in November when a delegation led by the (Malaysian) sports minister met with formula one supremo Bernie Ecclestone in London," Sepang's Azhar Ghazali is quoted as telling the Singapore newspaper Straits Times.
He added: "That was a preliminary discussion and more negotiations will follow, but thus far indications are that the Malaysian grand prix is set to remain."
[Editor's Note: If Bernie gets the Singapore race he wants, look for Malaysia to be axed. F1 can only hold so many race a year and with Abu Dhabi about to be added, something has to give.]
01/11/07 Dato Mokhzani Tun Mahathir, the chairman of the Sepang circuit and boss of the Malaysian Grand Prix told autosport.com at the Autosport International Show the Malaysian GP might be history after 2010.
"We are in negotiations with Mr. Ecclestone and as you can imagine that is not a straightforward thing," said Mahathir.
"We have to make a presentation to the government. At the end of the day it is the government that foots the bill and they have to decide.
"The problem is that from when we negotiated the original contract and when we took the decision to bring F1 to Malaysia, the Ringgit has depleted by between 40 and 50 percent.
"So it is the cost element that we really have to look at. That is the kind of consideration the government has to consider – because it is harder to justify, especially as F1 as a sport has remained the same."