King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain previously held discussions with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Ibrahim to find a solution to the challenges faced in organising the Bahrain Grand Prix this year. (Sultan Ibrahim Facebook pic)PETALING JAYA: Malaysia's hosting of the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix is the result of royal diplomatic efforts that reflect the close ties and strong trust between the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Ibrahim, and King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain, the palace said today.A statement on Sultan Ibrahim's Facebook page said he had maintained a good personal relationship with King Hamad since 2017, culminating in his state visit to Bahrain last year."The Bahrain Grand Prix faced uncertainty and required immediate resolution to ensure that the prestigious race could continue, following challenges to the F1 race calendar resulting from the armed conflict in West Asia."In an effort to find a solution, the King of Bahrain held discussions by phone with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong," the statement said.It said the cordial discussions were the starting point for strategic cooperation between the Malaysian and Bahraini governments, Formula 1, and the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile."As a result of this understanding, an agreement was reached to stage the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang International Circuit (SIC), bringing Formula 1 back to Malaysia for the first time since 2017."The announcement of SIC as the host for the Bahrain Grand Prix reflects the good royal and diplomatic ties between Sultan Ibrahim and King Hamad," the statement said.Separately, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Putrajaya would spend about RM16 million on upgrades at SIC ahead of the race to meet Formula 1 standards."We will not have to pay fees to Formula 1 to host the race. All expenditures will be limited to improvements to the circuit," he said in Tampin, adding that Malaysia previously spent hundreds of millions of ringgit to host the Formula 1 races.
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