F1 could return to Malaysia in 2026 after Petronas plan revealed

Sign up to our free sport newsletter for all the latest news on everything from cycling to boxing Sign up to our free sport email for all the latest news Sign up to our free sport email for all the latest news SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Petronas's plan to bring back the F1 race was revealed during a company town hall meeting led by the firm's president and chief executive, Tengku Muhammad Taufik Tengku Aziz, on Tuesday, the sources said, declining to be identified as they were not authorised to speak to media. Last year, Malaysia’s sports minister, Hannah Yeoh, said hosting an F1 race was “very expensive”, adding, “If we could host an F1 race, we already would have done it, but for now, we can’t afford to have races.” F1 officials did not immediately reply to a request for comment. Max Verstappen won the last Malaysian F1 Grand Prix in 2017 while Lewis Hamilton, one of the drivers for the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team, won the drivers' championship that year. open image in gallery Lewis Hamilton driving during practice for the Malaysia F1 Grand Prix in 2017 Petronas has been a sponsor of the Mercedes team since 2010, with the partnership winning eight constructors’ and seven drivers’ world championships.