Ticket Sales For Malaysian F1 Grand Prix Drop By One Fourth; Contract Extension Discussed

Ticket sales for Sunday's Malaysian F1 Grand Prix "decreased by one fourth in comparison to the previous year as the nation mourns the passengers and crew of flight MH370," according to the SID. Sepang Int'l Circuit CEO Razlan Razali said, "We've done what we could this year, but against this background the decrease was expected." A total of 62,340 spectators "attended Sunday's race," which was won by Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton. Razali: "In the end, however, it was an uplifting event for the Malaysian spectators after we have had so much reason for grief for several weeks." In addition, the organizers revealed that they "held preliminary talks with F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone on a contract extension." The circuit's current contract expires in '15 (SID, 3/31).