KUALA LUMPUR (July 27): Royal diplomacy between His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, and King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain has marked a historic milestone by bringing Formula One (F1) racing back to the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) after a nine-year absence.

According to a post on Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar's Facebook page on Monday, the achievement was made possible through the close relationship and high level of trust between Sultan Ibrahim and King Hamad, paving the way for the Bahrain F1 Grand Prix (GP) to be held in Malaysia.

"Since 2017, His Majesty and King Hamad have enjoyed a close personal friendship, which has continued to strengthen diplomatic ties between Bahrain and Malaysia, culminating in Sultan Ibrahim's state visit to Bahrain in 2025.

"Following challenges to the F1 racing calendar arising from the armed conflict in West Asia, the staging of the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix faced uncertainty and required an immediate solution to ensure the prestigious race could proceed," the post said.

It added that, in seeking a solution, the King of Bahrain held a telephone conversation with Sultan Ibrahim, with the discussion taking place in a warm atmosphere of friendship and mutual goodwill.

The discussion ultimately became the catalyst for strategic cooperation involving the Governments of Malaysia and Bahrain, F1, and the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA).

"As a result of the mutual understanding reached, an agreement was successfully concluded to stage the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix at the PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit, bringing Formula One back to Malaysia for the first time since it was last held in 2017," the post said.

It added that the announcement of Sepang as the host venue for the Bahrain F1 GP had been warmly welcomed, particularly by F1 fans in Malaysia and across the region, creating a historic chapter that reflects the strong royal diplomatic ties between Sultan Ibrahim and King Hamad.

Malaysia was reported on Sunday to be ready to welcome F1 back to the SIC after a nine-year absence, with the country set to host the Bahrain F1 GP from Oct 2 to 4.

Read also:
Malaysia confirmed as host of Bahrain Grand Prix
Malaysia ready to welcome back F1 after nine years, says PM

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