Kuala Lumpur, Nov 28: Organisers of next year's Malaysian grand prix plan to dress up the hillside stands with a theme-park air to help draw 100,000 spectators, an elusive goal since the inaugural competition in 1999.
Ahmad Mustafa, general manager for the Sepang international circuit, was quoted by the national news agency, Bernama, as saying yesterday that the decorations would be based on Malaysian states like Penang and Malacca, which have colorful colonial histories.
Shuttle services and customised, air-conditioned luxury boxes will also be added, Ahmad said. The goal will be to attract 100,000 spectators, many of them foreigners who would be a boon to the tourism industry.
"We have to always remember that formula one in Malaysia is a tourism agenda as much as a sporting event ... A tool to sell Malaysia overseas," Ahmad was quoted as saying.
Organisers said 92,500 tickets were sold last year, the largest number since the auto racing event was brought to Malaysia and the closest to the repeatedly set annual goal of 100,000.
Drivers for Ferrari have won all four editions - Eddie Irvine in 1999, and Michael Schumacher the next three years.
The Malaysian Grand Prix is the second race of the season, coming March 23 after the Australian Grand Prix. Bureau Report