Brunei Sultan departs after witnessing F1 Gulf Air Bahrain GP return to Sepang

SEPANG, Oct 4 — The Sultan of Brunei, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, departed for home today after concluding his special visit in conjunction with the Formula 1 (F1) Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix (GP) at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC). 

The aircraft carrying His Majesty and the Brunei delegation, including Prince Abdul Mateen Bolkiah, took off at 5.30 pm after a red carpet send-off, which included a guard of honour mounted by 28 officers and personnel from the First Battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment. 

Minister of Youth and Sports Dr Mohammed Taufiq Johari, Brunei High Commissioner to Malaysia Dato Paduka Abdu’r Rahmani Basir and Chief of Protocol Ambassador Mohd Ikram Ibrahim were present at the Bunga Raya Complex here to bid farewell to His Majesty and his delegation.

Earlier, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah attended the F1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix at SIC with His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, and the top leaders of Malaysia, Bahrain and Brunei to witness the return of the prestigious F1 race to Sepang after a nine-year absence.

Also attending the race were Bahrain Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

In July, F1 confirmed Malaysia as the host venue for the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix from Oct 2 to 4, following an agreement between Formula 1, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), and the governments of Malaysia and Bahrain.

F1’s return to Malaysia followed discussions and cooperation involving His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim and Bahrain’s King Hamad Isa Al-Khalifa, as well as the two governments, to retain the Bahrain Grand Prix on the 2026 F1 calendar after the race was cancelled earlier this season due to geopolitical tensions in West Asia.

Malaysia previously hosted the Malaysian Grand Prix at SIC from 1999 to 2017 before being dropped from the F1 calendar. — Bernama