F1 Daily: Sepang Negotiations, Verstappen's V8 Comments, and Bottas's Cycling Route

Last weekend's Formula 1 race in Sepang drew as much mixed reaction as it could get. It was a chaotic race that had too many things going on, including a never-before-seen software glitch in the cars during the formation lap.

Still, Sepang gave us an exciting race, with Max Verstappen leaving Malaysia with another victory. Would we see Malaysia more in the future F1 calendars? 

After a crazy crowd turnout and an even crazier race, Malaysia wants a permanent return to the F1 calendar. Local promoters cited declining ticket sales and viewership as one of the reasons why the Malaysian Grand Prix was called off after 2017. But we saw last weekend that it's not the case anymore.

Instead, organizers encountered transportation issues for spectators, with shuttle buses stuck in heavy traffic. They must fix these issues with long-term planning, but expect the FIA to strongly consider returning to the Sepang International Circuit on a more permanent basis.

It has been more than a decade since the end of the V8 engine era, but drivers are still aching to bring it back to the grid. One of those is Max Verstappen, who said that a "proper V8 can fix so many things" in today's cars. In an appearance on the P1 with Matt & Tommy podcast, the Red Bull driver said that the V8s are "lighter and much more fun to race with."

F1 might consider a return to the V8 powertrains but not until the current regulations end after the 2029 season. Verstappen and the other drivers will have to make do with today's hybrid engines.

This week is the third leg of the current F1 triple-header (Baku, Malaysia, Singapore), but it seems like Valtteri Bottas has a full tank of energy left. Instead of taking the usual plane route from Malaysia to Singapore, the Cadillac driver has opted to ride his bicycle for the next race. 

Bottas will have to cycle around 350 kilometers, from the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia to Marina Bay in Singapore. Of course, he will break the trip into three days, just in time for Media Day on Thursday.

F1 has not raced in Africa since the 1993 South African Grand Prix at Kyalami. But the drought could end soon, with Rwanda reportedly reaching a deal to return to the F1 calendar in 2030. Reports say that organizers will build a new permanent circuit near Bugesera International Airport. 

Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton has long lobbied for the sport to return to Africa. Would this encourage him to hold off retirement until after 2030? We'll see.

Haas's Oliver Bearman revealed something bothersome for drivers, saying that he didn't know the FIA could actually control their throttle pedal. His comments come after a software glitch delayed the start of the Bahrain GP in Malaysia, with cars failing to accelerate during the formation lap. The FIA was able to deploy a software fix, but this was just a short-term answer. We'll know more about the FIA's investigation into this matter when we head to the Singapore Grand Prix this weekend.