SEPANG, Oct 4 — Thousands of Formula 1 (F1) fans made their way to the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) today, aided by additional shuttle buses and personnel deployed to facilitate their arrival.
A Bernama check at about 11am found fans beginning to stream into the circuit ahead of the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, scheduled to start at 3pm today.
The smoother movement was welcomed by fans after they experienced congestion and a challenging journey to the circuit in previous days.
Lawyer Thariq Abdullah, 56, who travelled from Puchong with his wife and son, said their journey to SIC by shuttle bus from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 2 was much better today compared with his visit last Friday.
“Much better today. Friday was quite chaotic, but today looks better as there are more buses and marshals.
“I hope the situation can be maintained, especially when spectators leave the circuit after the race, as problems usually occur on the return journey when many people leave at the same time,” he told Bernama.
Thariq, who has attended F1 and MotoGP races several times, said the excitement this year was palpable following F1’s return to Malaysia after a nine-year absence.
“Malaysia has not hosted it for a long time, so people are excited. There may be a generation who have never experienced this atmosphere before, and they are here to enjoy it,” he said.
Free shuttle buses are available for spectators from KLIA Terminal 2, Mitsui Outlet Park, Sepang and Bandar Baru Enstek, Nilai.
Meanwhile, efforts to ensure drinking water is available to spectators amid the current hot weather were also seen at the bus stop near the SIC entrance, where a drinking water station was being installed.
Hope Huan Hee Keng, assistant manager of a contracting company, said a drinking water station had been installed to allow spectators to get water while waiting for buses in the hot weather. — Bernama
