Formula 1 fans in the UK have a rare window this October: two Grand Prix weekends, back to back, in two countries an easy flight apart. Racing returns to Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia from 2 to 4 October — the first time the sport has raced there since 2017 — and the Singapore night race follows a week later, from 9 to 11 October. Malaysia Airlines is building its autumn pitch around exactly this double-header.
Sepang is a circuit with real pedigree among drivers: long straights, a demanding layout and weather that can turn a race on its head in minutes. Singapore offers the opposite flavour — a floodlit street race snaking through the city centre, widely considered one of the season's highlights. Seeing both in a single trip is the sort of thing that's rarely logistically simple, but the geography works here: fly London Heathrow to Kuala Lumpur, race weekend one, then hop down to Singapore for weekend two.
The airline is also nudging travellers to treat Malaysia as more than a pit stop. Its Bonus Side Trip programme lets eligible international passengers transiting through Kuala Lumpur add a domestic flight to one of eight Malaysian destinations at no extra fare — you only pay airport taxes. The list includes beach favourites Langkawi and Penang, plus Kuching in Borneo and Kuala Terengganu on the east coast, so the gap between races could easily become a few days on an island or in a heritage city.
On-board, the product includes Malaysian-inspired menus, the MHstudio on-demand entertainment system, unlimited Wi-Fi on eligible aircraft and a 20kg checked baggage allowance. Enrich loyalty members can unlock additional promotional perks, subject to terms.
Pricing, if you're tempted: return fares from Heathrow to Kuala Lumpur start at £932 in Economy and £4,549 in Business, while Heathrow to Singapore starts at £1,009 in Economy and £4,245 in Business.
For motorsport fans this is a genuinely efficient itinerary — two very different race experiences, with Kuala Lumpur's food scene and neighbourhoods filling the week in between. For everyone else, it's a reminder that a flight deal or event can be the excuse for a wider Southeast Asia trip, with Malaysia's beaches, cities and street food doing the heavy lifting either side of the racing.
