2024.09.11

Agreement signed to hold Malaysia Rounds for 3 years from next season in Kuala Lumpur

　On September 9th, an agreement was signed to hold SUPER GT Series Malaysia rounds for three years from 2025 to 2027 at the PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit in Kuala Lumpur.

 

　Present for the signing was the Malaysia’s honorable Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Yang Berhormat Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan. Also on hand for the signing were Managing Partner Fahrizal Hasan of the Malaysia Round promoter, HARO Sports & Entertainment (hereinafter HARO), and President and Chief Executive Officer Masaaki Bandoh of GTA, the promoters of the SUPER GT series. These two representatives signed the contract for the holding of Malaysia Round races from 2025 to 2027.

　Also, in attendance for the signing ceremony was Secretary-General S. N. Nanthan of the Motorsports Association of Malaysia (MAM).

 

 

Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Yang Berhormat Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan speaking at the ceremony

 

HARO Sports & Entertainment Managing Partner Fahrizal Hasan and GTA President and Chief Executive Officer Masaaki Bandoh signing the contract

 

 

　Speaking on behalf of HARO, Managing Partner Hasan said, “I am deeply honored that the GTA, the teams and drivers have once again unanimously agreed to return to Malaysia. As the only overseas round for SUPER GT, Malaysia has a strong advantage to firmly position itself as a preferred Sports Tourism destination not only regionally, but globally. Hence, the Malaysian race will not only be heavily promoted locally but also throughout the Asian region and beyond.” Furthermore, HARO announced that for the two days of the Malaysia Round, it aims to attract at lease 80,000 spectators from Malaysia and the surrounding countries.

 

 

HARO Sports & Entertainment’s Fahrizal Hasan speaking about the SUPER GT event

 

 

　Then, GTA President and Chief Executive Officer Masaaki Bandoh addressed the meeting with words about the COVID-19 pandemic and hopes for the success of the Malaysia Round, saying, “One of the largest difficulties we faced before we reach here was COVID-19 pandemic, but with the pride of being a premier racing series, we established the best possible safety and health management and were able to continuously hold the series events with no infections originating from the race event, not only among the members of the race events but also among the spectators who visited the circuits in Japan. Now, in the post-pandemic, people to people exchange with Japan has revitalized especially in the countries in Asia, and the number of foreign visitors to Japan are surging. In Malaysia, there is also a campaign called Visit Malaysia. We will plan and hold various events to promote the Sepang round of SUPER GT so that it can become an integral part of the effort to increase overseas travel to Malaysia.”

 

 

GTA President and Chief Executive Officer Masaaki Bandoh addressing the meeting

 

 

　

　The 2025 AUTOBACS SUPER GT Malaysia Round will be held as the third round (June 27-28) of the 8-round series. The other seven rounds will be held at six circuits in Japan, meaning that the Malaysia Round will be the SUPER GT Series’ only overseas round.

　*2025 SUPER GT Calendar (planned) announced a total of 8 races are scheduled, including one overseas race.

 

 

　A Malaysia Round to be held at the Sepang International Circuit was planned for 2020, but it had to be cancelled due to the worldwide spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. For this reason, next season’s Malaysia Round will be the first to be held in 11 years, since June of 2013.

　Before the start of the SUPER GT Series, two races were held in Malaysia in 2000 and 2001 as exhibition races for the predecessor of SUPER GT, the All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship (JGTC). Then, in 2002, a Malaysia Round was held as the first official overseas round of the SUPER GT Series. In the 12 years since then, 11 rounds were held in Malaysia (with the exception of 2013 when it was postponed due to the SARS epidemic in Southeast Asia).

 

 

 

The Contract signed this time

 

 

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