Crowds cheer Malaysia's F-1 debut

Crowds cheer Malaysia's F-1 debut

SEPANG, Malaysia (AP): Fighter jets swooped through sunny skies and several thousand racing fans packed the stands to greet Malaysia's Formula One debut Sunday.

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad did two laps in a Mercedes Benz official car on the new US$80 million circuit before the gleaming cars roared in.

Basir Ismail, chairman of the organizing committee, said 130,000 people watched the qualifying and practice races on Friday and Saturday and the final on Sunday. But several rows of seats were vacant.

"I am not a race enthusiast, but I am here because it is the first time in Malaysia," said Ramli Manan, a bank employee.

The race will make Malaysia famous around the world with several million people watching it on TV, he said.

Some Formula One fans were disappointed the turnout wasn't bigger.

"In Argentina and Brazil, people sleep the night before (in the stands)," said Ramiro Reyes, who had traveled from Indonesia to see the race.

Reyes, an Ecuador citizen who works in a petroleum company in Indonesia, said the stands in Europe and South America would have been filled to watch racing aces like Michael Schumacher and Mika Hakkinen.

Before the race began, the crowd was entertained by a military band and fighter jets performing loops and rolls in the air.

Women dressed in colorful long-sleeved Malaysian costumes held placards with the drivers' names and numbers - in sharp contrast to the tight-fitting outfits customary in Formula One races in Europe and South America.

It was the first time a Formula One race was held in a predominantly Muslim country.

Dark clouds and light rain in the morning had set off fears that monsoon showers could dampen the inaugural race at Sepang. By the afternoon, the clouds had cleared.