00:01Not even the rain could dampen the excitement of Formula One fans,
00:05who turned up in droves to catch a glimpse of Mercedes-AMG Petronas,
00:09drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli in Kuala Lumpur.
00:13The duo made a special appearance at Plaza Petronas at KLCC on Wednesday night,
00:19giving fans the opportunity to meet the Mercedes stars in person.
00:28The appearance comes just days before F1 makes its long-awaited return to the Siopang International Circuit,
00:33which is set to host this year's Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix from October 2nd to 4th.
00:38For many fans, braving the rain was well worth it,
00:41especially after Malaysia went without an F1 race for almost a decade.
00:45I feel jubilant because this meet and greet is like once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing.
00:52So it's not easy to meet these two great drivers from Petronas Mercedes-AMG.
00:57So with the big crowds here, so I definitely feel jubilant despite the rain.
01:03I'm hoping the federal government of Malaysia would consider to sponsor back the F1 and bring back the F1 race
01:13to Malaysia.
01:14We are hoping for that.
01:16So actually it's a very something that we are waiting for as a F1 fan since for me this is
01:25my first time going to the Grand Prix for this year for Bahrain.
01:29So this is a big opportunity especially as I said it's considered as a home race for the Malaysian.
01:37So we hope that the team will do their best for the upcoming race this weekend.
02:07For some, the experience went beyond simply meeting their favourite drivers.
02:14It was a really interesting experience. I got to get really close with my favourite drivers.
02:19I got a fist bump from George Russell and that was really fun.
02:24Kimi signed my hat and I was like screaming and crying all at the same time. It was just like
02:28insane. And he was like this close to me.
02:31Oh my God, if I can describe a man who has like every beauty in the world that's going to
02:38be George Russell, you cannot say no to that man. It's like a prince.
02:43For both Russell and Antonelli, the race will also mark their first experience competing at Sepang in a Formula One
02:49kart.
02:49Yeah, I mean it's amazing to be back in Malaysia and to race in Sepang. It's such a good track.
02:58Also Kuala Lumpur is a really cool place. Yesterday I went around and I went for a walk.
03:07I went to Splash Mania. I feel like I've missed out on Splash Mania.
03:14No, you need to go. You need to go.
03:16They need to be a sponsor for us next year because you've given them a lot of publicity.
03:23But yeah, it's super cool and it's a very important race for Petronas and it feels like a home race
03:30for both of us.
03:32And with Antonelli currently leading Russell in the Drivers' Championship, the upcoming race could prove crucial in the battle for
03:38the title.
03:39For the fans, F1 is finally back in Malaysia and they are not going to miss it.
03:47Malaysia's Sepang International Circuit hosted its first company in 1999, built in a land that was formed in Germany.
03:56The 5.5mm track is one of the most technical circuits in Formula One.
04:01The combination of long, high-speed streets and tight, twisted complexes make it hard to achieve the perfect...
04:11...and I believe that it's a great job of engaging in in a couple of different races.
04:13...and that they can take a lot of things like and work.
