Bookmark your calendar for these unmissable racing events, which are happening in our own backyard.
By Richard Augustin
It’s safe to say Malaysians love their motorsports. After all, we’re the only country in the region to host several international race series each year. In fact, we’re even mulling over the idea of giving the mat motor guys an opportunity to race in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. Although the jury is out on whether that race will ever see the light of day, rest assured there are plenty of fast paced motorsport events to keep Malaysian fans occupied in the coming year. Without further ado, here are the ones you should mark on your calendar.
FIM Superbike World Championship
When: 15 May 2016
The Lowdown: Malaysia hosts the Superbike World Championship for the third year in a row. The race series is not only considered the second biggest two-wheel motorsports event in the world but it also features some of the best riders, some of whom have plied their trade in MotoGP as well.
Reason to Watch: There will be a total of 34 top riders competing for honours in this year’s Superbike Championship including one that will be sporting local colours. Former Moto 3 rider, Zulfahmi Khairuddin has made the switch to SBK to become the first full time Malaysian rider on the grid.
Formula 1 Malaysian Grand Prix
When: 2 October 2016
The Lowdown: Malaysia has traded its traditional March/April slot for October this year and for good reason too; The race will now come hot off the heels of the neighbouring Singapore GP, and will now be the 16th race on the F1 calendar. Hosting a race this deep in the season will also mean that there will be a lot to race for as the drivers will be looking to come away with the world title at the end of the season.
Reason To Watch: After a confined street race in Singapore, do expect the F1 grid to really let loose on the highly technical Sepang racetrack. Add in a couple of championship contenders to the mix, and you will have the stage set for one of the more exciting races on the 2016 F1 calendar.
Malaysian MotoGP
When: 30 October 2016
The Lowdown: The Sepang International Circuit hosts the penultimate round of the 2016 MotoGP calendar. If last year’s event was anything to go by, then this race in October should provide plenty of action, especially with Moto 3, Moto 2 and MotoGP all set to take place back-to-back on the very same track. Let’s just hope no one kicks anyone off their bikes this time around.
Reason To Watch: The Malaysian round has often played title decider for some of the race categories. That aside, the race is also a good place to cheer on local Moto 3 riders Adam Norrodin and Khairul Idham Pawi as well as Azlan Shah and Hafizh Syarhin in Moto 2.
Sepang 12 Hours
When: 10-11 December 2016
The Lowdown: One of the premier endurance races in the region, the Sepang 12Hours stands as one of the major long distance races for GT cars in South East Asia. Taking place for over 12 hours (midnight to noon), the race regularly attracts some of the world’s biggest teams and drivers who regularly feature in race series such as the Lamborghini Super Trofeo, Ferrari Challenge, Maserati Trofeo, Porsche Carrera Cup, Audi R8 LMS Cup.
Reason To Watch: Witnessing some of the fastest and most coveted cars on the planet and teams of drivers race one another and trade paint for half a day on track. Enough said.
Follow RedBull.com Motorsports on Facebook and Twitter for more updates.
Get the best stories delivered straight to your inbox with the Red Bull Newsletter.