The GT Association (GTA) has announced that the 2026 SUPER GT Malaysia GT 300km Race at Petronas Sepang International Circuit has been postponed indefinitely, the latest motor racing event to be postponed due to the United States/Israel’s ongoing and escalating war on Iran – and its ripple effects, including energy shortages due to prohibited travel through the Strait of Hormuz.
Originally scheduled for 20–21 June, the postponement of SUPER GT’s race in Malaysia comes in the wake of a Malaysian government work-from-home order for government employees, as the country seeks to encourage its citizens to reduce fuel consumption. This order will take effect on 15 April, just two weeks after GT World Challenge Asia ran its opening round in Sepang. Malaysia’s government has reportedly requested that any large-scale events that are not of significant national interest are to be postponed or cancelled due to the risk of fuel shortages.
Rising international freight and air travel costs have also played a factor in the decision to postpone the race in Sepang. These costs were covered by local rights holder promoter HARO Sports & Entertainment, the company which also handles the international distribution of SUPER GT broadcasts outside of Japan.
In a joint statement from the GTA Chairman Masaaki Bandoh and HARO Sports Managing Partner Fahrizal Hassan, the two expressed their commitment to bringing the series back to Sepang “when conditions allow for a safe, stable, and high-quality event.”
“Firstly, our prayers are with all those impacted by the current crisis in the Middle East. We pray for a peaceful and amicable resolution,” said Bandoh. “We would like to thank HARO Sports & Entertainment and everyone involved in Malaysia for their efforts in preparing for the event. This was a difficult decision to make, but we would like to thank our Japanese fans, entrants, sponsors, and media for their understanding.
“We will continue to build a cooperative relationship with HARO Sports & Entertainment and everyone in Malaysia so that Malaysian fans can once again enjoy an exciting SUPER GT.”
“While this was not what we envisioned for the second year running of the Malaysian round,” said Hassan, “we would like to thank GTA, the teams and all valued stakeholders – our partners, sponsors, the media and especially all fans – for their strong support and understanding in these challenging times.
“The race will be back in Malaysia, and when it does, we are committed to making it twice as exciting!”
Already, the FIA World Endurance Championship Qatar 1812km has been provisionally postponed to November due to the war, which has also led to the indefinite postponement of two Formula 1 World Championship rounds in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
SUPER GT’s return to Sepang in 2025 was the series’ first flyaway round since 2019, and drew nearly 76,000 spectators across three days, making it the second-highest attended round on the calendar behind only the Fuji GT 3 Hour Race on Japan’s Golden Week holiday. Sepang had originally been set to return in 2020 before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic forced it to be postponed for five years.
The GTA and HARO Sports’ decision to postpone the 2026 Sepang SUPER GT race could result in an extension to the initial three-year contract for the event, meaning that if the race does not proceed in 2026, it would be a part of the 2027 calendar.
Images © GTA
