SEPANG: Red Bull's Max Verstappen led the chorus of praise for the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) and the Malaysian fans after winning the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday, as Formula One's long-awaited return drew a record 261,000 spectators over the weekend.
The attendance, as well as the 103,000 turnout on race day on Sunday, are the highest numbers in SIC's history, which hosted the Malaysian Grand Prix from 1999 to 2017.
Verstappen, who won the last Malaysian Grand Prix in 2017, returned to the circuit nine years later and immediately found himself reminded of why he enjoyed racing here.
"I always enjoyed racing here because I really liked the track layout. Very, very enjoyable to win here," said Verstappen.
