It has to be said though that ticket prices for this one-year-only Sepang F1 race do quickly rise from there.
After perhaps prematurely releasing ticket prices for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia a little early yesterday, the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) has since finally published the official list. And what do you know, prices start from just RM 200 for Malaysians!
Yes, true to what the Malaysian government previously teased, Malaysians with a MyKad can indeed pick up a three-day pass for this one-year-only Formula 1 race at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) for as little as two purple notes, covering the G Hillstand overlooking Turns 4, 5 and 6. There is nevertheless quite a big jump from there though… with tickets for the B Hillstand (Turns 13 and 14) and C Hillstand (Turns 9, 10 and 11) retailing at RM 809.60.
Moving on to those that actually include proper seats instead of just sitting atop a hill too, covered grandstand tickets start from RM 1,291.40 for the F Grandstand and rise to RM 1,386 for the K1 Grandstand overlooking Turns 1 and 2. As for the granddaddy of seats, the Main Grandstand itself will set you back a good RM 2,083 for the full weekend.
Now, while some may moan about how these prices are a touch higher than the RM300+ grandstand tickets when F1 last came to Sepang in 2017, they still do look fairly reasonable when compared with those for the Singapore Grand Prix the following week. Such is as the cheapest three-day pass there will set you back S$548 (RM2,250), though this does include access to the Sprint Race on Saturday.
It is also worth pointing out that foreign visitors to Sepang this October will need to fork out a bit more for these tickets, with Hillstands B and C costing US$218.90 (RM 895), Grandstand F US$376.39 (RM 1,540), Grandstand K1 US$350.13 (RM 1,430) and the Main Grandstand US$566.05 (RM 2,320).
Handily for those who want to make this a family day out however, children aged three to six are entitled to a 25% discount regardless of nationality, with the exception of the G Hillstand. Those under three in turn will also be able to enter free of charge.
Incidentally too, the ticketing website is now open for purchases, although these will likely be sold out by the time anyone reads this. Only three-day passes appear to be on sale at present as well, with no single-day options available.
Interestingly, these prices are not actually fixed in ringgit either, with all ticket sales processed in Bahraini dinar and converted at the prevailing exchange rate. This means the final amount paid could fluctuate slightly, with the arrangement stemming from the Bahraini government retaining the ticket proceeds after footing the bill for F1’s hosting and licensing fees.
As for why Bahrain is being held in Malaysia in the first place, the race was originally scheduled to take place in Sakhir on April 12 before being postponed amid the ongoing Iran war. Even its rescheduled October 2–4 date eventually had to be abandoned, paving the way for Sepang to step in as the temporary home of the Bahrain GP between the Azerbaijan and Singapore rounds.
