Malaysia gets an unplanned marketing boost from F1 teams

Cycling in Langkawi, swimming in Splashmania, monkeying in Batu Caves – Formula 1 racers have been all over Malaysia as the Sepang International Circuit saw the return of the sport, and posts of these adventures are going viral. According to social chatter observed by A+M, some Malaysians have been claiming that the team is “promoting Malaysia better than Tourism Malaysia” -  especially given the ongoing Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign. 

Sepang has also reportedly smashed all-time attendance records for its circuit - perhaps due to the excitement of returning to this track after nine whole years. Here are some of the best posts made by F1 and its teams that have put Malaysia in the spotlight for its hundreds of thousands of fans globally.

Don't miss: Sepang gets back in the driver's seat as F1 returns to Malaysia

1. Aston Martin or NatGeo? 

Upon landing in Malaysia, Aston Martin racing has been jaw-dropping shots of Malaysia, from scenes in Batu Caves to the iconic twin towers. It even got human interest shots highlighting hawkers at work. The post on Instagram saw more than 61,500 likes and over 370 comments, many of which raving about Malaysia's beauty.

2. Audmin becomes meteorologists 

Threads came alive as F1 racing team social media admins responded in real time. “Audmin,” the nickname given to the Audi F1 threads administrator, has made posts joking about how its channel is reporting about the weather like its “CNN”, spotlighting the temperamental nature of Malaysia. The post got more than 140 replies, with commenters sharing how "when it rains in Malaysia, it pours," while advising "Audmin" to gear up in boots and a raincoat.

3. Audi shows the beauty of the Sepang track

Aside from showing scenes of the city, some racing teams have also been pouring love into the Sepang International Circuit. While some racers have commented on the track being a little old, the track has also been lauded as a beautiful, highly technical racing track – as highlighted by Audi’s compilation of all its turns. The post, with over 9,000 likes, is one that will appeal to racing fans. 

4. Boys’ trip in Langkawi 

Ahead of the race weekend, George Russell from the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team and gang made their way north to Langkawi, the island off Kedah. Oscar Piastri, the Australian racing driver for McLaren Racing, cheekily commented, “Cheers for picking up the bill.” The drivers were seen playing chess and even stopping at a kedai runcit (sundry shop) while cycling. The post drew in over 1 million likes on Russell's account, and was also reposted by Formula 1's official Instagram account, separately bringing in over 800,000 likes. 

5. Haas turns Petaling Street into a cyberpunk landscape

Through cinematic shots of Petaling Street and its surrounding areas, Haas F1 Team made nightlife in Malaysia look straight out of a cyberpunk city. This post got over 55,000 likes. Haas also made a separate post comprising stills of the city.  

6. Kimi loves Splashmania

Splashmania won big at Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. For some reason, Kimi Antonelli, the 20-year-old racing for Mercedes, loved his time at the water theme park in Gamuda Cover, Selangor. Aside from the fun, he claims that running up all the stairs was helpful training, too. More than 60,000 likes went to this clip of Antonelli raving about it.   

7. Malaysia through Ferrari’s lens 

Scuderia Ferrari also put it photography cap on as the racing team explored Kuala Lumpur, taking artistic shots of the cityscape. The post got over 220,000 likes, perhaps boasting the star power that the team, which comprises Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, brings.   

8. McLaren becomes documentarians 

Team Papaya has unexpectedly edited together arguably one of the best short clips promoting Malaysia. From Batu Caves and monkeys to cityscape and hawker stalls, their video is a love letter to the wider Klang Valley area. The post saw more than 100,000 likes on Instagram and over 36,500 likes on Threads. 

9. Mercedes “comes home” 

PETRONAS has been the title and technical partner for the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team for 16 years, so Mercedes has been one of the most vocal racing teams as the sport returned to Sepang. 

The team has been leveraging the heartfelt vibes by turning the twin towers teal on 30 September following a meet-and-greet with George Russel and Kimi Antonelli. More than 230,000 likes and over 1,000 comments went to this post. Many commenters were welcoming the team home,  

10. No Malaysian trip is complete without food 

Cadillac Formula 1 Team has turned to Threads to ask for Malaysian’s top food recommendations. And there’s nothing Malaysians love quite as much as food – and asserting their opinions over good eating. The innocent question allowed Malaysians to shout out all sorts of foods from Nasi Lemak to Ramly burgers. 

11. Where did all the time go? 

If you haven’t heard, Max Verstappen has conquered the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang. And nine years ago, during the last Malaysian Grand Prix, results had been the same. 

Even prior to the podium, though, Redbull Racing posted a 2017 vs 2026 image, highlighting the circuit’s history with F1. 

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