The loss of the Malaysian Grand Prixཧ after 19 years will mark the first real change 🎉in Formula 1’s approach to race contracts since Liberty Media’ takeover and the overhaul of its management team.

Despite having one year to run on its contract, officials from both Sepang and F1 itself confirmed back in April the race would not return in 2018, with low attendance figures being cited as the chief re൩ason behind its demise.

But when Malaysia joi൲ned the F1 calendar back in 1999, it marked the start of the sport’s expansion into Asia, setting the tone for the ad♈dition of events in Bahrain, China, Korea, Singapore and Abu Dhabi in the decade that would follow, overseen by Bernie Ecclestone.

Nineteen years later, Sepang ❀lacks the sheen it once did as a facility, yet it has provided some memorable moments to the sport through the years. While the people of Kuala Lumpur may not be overly saddened by the loss of the race, F1 is sorry to see it go.

Of the current crop of drivers, Fernando Alonso has racked up the most appearances at Sepang, featuring in all but three 🎶of the F1 rไaces it has hosted, and took his first pole and podium at the track back in 2003 with Renault.

“I had a temperature all that weekend,” Alonso reflected. “Saturday night was a difficult night, I remember going to the airp༒ort doctor in Kuala Lumpur just to have a double check because the temperature was too high and I couldn’t really sleep that night.

“The race was very demanding, very long, but we got our first podium of my 🧜career so it was a very special weekend.

“It’s a shame it’s the last time we race here. The circuit is an amazing challenge from a driving point of view𒅌 but also for the car because of te🍰mperatures and the weather etc. So hopefully we can do a good result for our last time here.

“We saw some good races, red flags. We saw in 2009 the race was cu🃏t short we had ‘Multi 21’, we had even the drama of last year with [Lewis] Hamilton and the eꩲngine problems. So always it provides great action, so we will miss that. 

The 2003 race🐟 also saw another youngster of-the-moment star, with Kimi Raikkonen taking his maiden grand prꩵix victory for McLaren at Sepang, kick-starting an unlikely bid for the world title that year.

But Raikkonen was less bothered about the loss of the race, his rather honest assessment highlighting one of its key 💯weaknesses: the 💦distance from Kuala Lumpur, around 50 kilometres.

“I don’t know if we’re going to miss it,” Raikkonen said. “It’s a nice circuit but the only thi𒅌ng you see is the airport, the 🦩hotel next to the airport and the circuit, so you can choose from that what you’re going to miss…”

Kimi being Kimi, though, t🎶he most important thing for him is the racing - something he feels Malaysia has been good for through the years.

“I won my first race here. It was a while ago now, but it obviously meant a lot,” Raikkonen said. “Then there was the win🤡 in 2008 with Ferrari, it was a good fight with Felipe [Massa] and obviously good memories, some bad memories over the years, but that’s when you go many times in the same place that will happen.

“I think there’s been quite good racing over 🍃the years here. I think the layout obviously helps that, and conditions have been always tricky.

“I think everybody has got more used to iꦯt since the early days, but nevertheless I think the racing has been good and that’s the main thing.

“Obviously the rest, it doesn’t mat꧂ter because we are here for racing and if that’s good then that’s fine.”

Despite onlꦅy making his first Malaysia appearance in 2008, Sebastian Vettel stands out as the most successful driver in its history, taking four victories at Sepang. But which was the most sp🦄ecial?

“For sure the nicest one was 2015, my first win with Ferrari. It certainly was very special,” Vettel said. “We came here early in the season, at the very beginning of my time with Ferrari. There’s still a lot of very nice memories coming up, I’m think🐲ing about that day, and how the race happened, what happened after the race. I had a re൲ally good time.

“I think the other races, I’m not sure I ꦓremember all of them, but 2013 obviously was a bit of a special one which came with a bit of noiওse after the race…”

The Multi 21 clash between Vettel and then-Red Bull teammate Mark Webber perhaps stands out as the most controversial moment in Malaysia’s F1 history, ecliജpsing even the bargeboard technical row in the wake of its inaugural race.

Lewis Hamilton’s record in Malaysia has been a littlꦆe less impressive than tha🌞t of his current championship rival, taking just a single win in 2014.

Perhaps the most memorable moment for Hamilton at Sepang♊ came last year when his engine failed while leading by a signif💧icant margin - but it is not the one factor he blames losing the championship to Nico Rosberg on.

“Honestly, at the end of th🅰e season, rather than blame it on a rel𒅌iability issue, if I hadn’t lost a lot of positions we had at the start of races then it would have been the same,” Hamilton said.

“So I’ll put that on my pers🦋onal performance🐷s, and obviously I’ve improved on that.

“But for sure if that didn’tꦓ hap🙈pen, I would have been in a different position.”

Hamilton has been a ♋key figure in the promotion of the Malaysian Grand Prix in recent years given Mercedes’ ties with Petronas, which is the title sponsor of the race and calls Kuala Lumpur home.

Even with the litany of promotional engagements and marketing appearances♐ involved over the busy race for Mercedes, Hamilton will miss coming to Sepang due to the unique challenge it poses with extreme heat and humidity.

“I’ve had an interesting experience com🅰i🧜ng here these 10 years. I’ve always generally enjoyed my trip here,” Hamilton said.

“I think it has generally always been the toughest grand prix, particularly in the earlier years when it was the second race, so s✅traightaway to go intܫo the toughest race of the season climate-wise is difficult.

“It’s a very, very tough circuit. It’s a weekend where if there are a🌃ny weaknesses within the team, it will seep throu🌱gh. I’m hoping this weekend we can finish on a high in the last race here.”

With the grand prix alwaysꦉ being staged around Malaysia’s stormy se🌱asons, rain often plays a factor, seen most clearly in 2009 when the race was cut short and half-points were awarded.

The last wet Malaysian Grand Prix came in 2012 when Fernando Alonso claimed a surprise win for Ferrari, but ♊not before he was run very close by Sergio Perez, then with Sauber, who stands out as one of the great underdog successes in the history of the race at Sepang.

A stunning display in the wet saw Perez finish second and even close rapidly on Alonso, only𓃲 for a mistake to send him wide in the 🐼final stages and cost him the chance to try and take a shock victory.

“My best moment here is when I got my first podium in F1. The worst moment was probably losi෴ng the victory!” Perez said reflܫecting on the 2012 race.

“It is a track that you have to prepare yours🏅elf har🦄d for, physically it is the toughest challenge especially at this time of year as it is hotter. As a driver it puts a lot of motivation on me and the way I prepare this weekend also with the week before in Singapore. It is something I like to have.

“It is something I will a🤪lso miss, and I want to t🐼hank the Malaysian fans because they have always been great.”

While the economics involved may mean Malaysia’s stint hosting F1𒊎 will end on a quꦬiet note, it will nevertheless be a grand prix the sport remembers very fondly.

And one would imagine Malaysia is a race the powers that be would be open to reviving down the line, should the condition෴s be right.

For now thou♑gh, let us enjoy the final offering Sepang has for us. Come rain or shine, Sunday’s race promises to be yet another memorable chapter in Malaysia’s F1 story.