Kuala lumpur: Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli have expressed their excitement about racing at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) after Malaysia was confirmed as the replacement host for the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Russell expressed his delight in finally being able to race in Sepang while Belgian GP winner Antonelli said that racing in Malaysia would be special as it was the team's title sponsor, Petronas' home.
Russell shared his enthusiasm in a video on the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team's official Instagram account, stating, "Based in Malaysia, Sepang would be so, so cool. Sepang was actually my favourite track as a kid when I used to play it on the F1 game. I've never driven there, but I feel like I know it really well because I drove it so often, so that would be really cool. And obviously home of Petronas as well, so, yeah, that'd be awesome."
Antonelli, who has only driven the circuit virtually, described Sepang as "a really cool track" and said he was looking forward to experiencing it for the first time in a Formula One car. "That's actually proper Petronas home race. So that's cool. I mean, also, it's a really cool track, Sepang. So I think it's gonna be sick," he said.
Earlier today, Formula One confirmed Malaysia as the host of the Bahrain Grand Prix following an agreement between Formula One, the F©d©ration Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), and the governments of Malaysia and Bahrain. The event, scheduled to be held at SIC from Oct 2 to 4, will retain its original title as the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, subject to final agreements and official sign-off, including approval by the World Motor Sport Council.
The agreement allows the Bahrain Grand Prix to remain on the 2026 Formula One calendar after it was cancelled earlier this season due to geopolitical stresses in West Asia. Malaysia previously hosted the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang from 1999 to 2017 before the race was dropped from the Formula One calendar.