The Sepang International Circuit has hosted MotoGP since 1999 and this season Dorna awarded the Malaysian GP the MotoGP event of the Year after the track recorded a total attendance of 125,816 spectators for the three-day weekend with 14,702 spectators on Friday, 33,936 spectators on Saturday and a massive 77,178 spectators on Sunday.
With the European economy continuing down the bumpy road of recession, unemployment figures rising and motorcycle sales falling down into two digit numbers, manufacturers are turning more and more towards the the ever-growing Southeast Asian markets where they sell millions and millions of small displacement bikes and scooters and where there could be countless sponsors to tap into and an enormous and growing fan base – despite the very insignificant number of Asian riders in GP racing – even if some teams seem to be more open to giving a chance to these riders, like Gresini QMMF, and JiR Racing.
In order to capitalize on these vast and growing numbers, according to MCN, Yamaha’s Lin Jarvis has asked Carmelo Ezpeleta to investigate the possibility of hosting at least two races a season at Sepang – until Dorna gets the Buddh Circuit in India on the calendar (World Superbikes got to it first, just like they did Russia) or other circuits in South East Asia are built to FIM approval.
Half of the eighteen races on the 2013 calendar are just in three countries – Spain has four (Jerez, Catalunya, Aragon and Valencia) the United States gets three (Indianapolis, Laguna Seca, and COTA) and Italy has two (Mugello and Misano).