Sunday's Malaysian Grand Prix may not have been the last at Sepang, according to prime minister Najib Razak, who was speaking as many Formula 1 insiders sadly farewelled the venue near Kuala Lumpur after almost two decades.

For cost reasons, the Malaysian government has withdrawn from the Formula 1 calendar, and the Sepang circuit boss this weekend backed that decision by saying that the track would not host a race in 2018 even if Liberty Media waived the fee altogether.

However, Razak said that he attended Sunday's final Malaysian Grand Prix with "a sentimental feeling", but he backed the decision to stop hosting the race.

"It has been diminishing returns for us and because of that, the economic viability of it became less attractive," he told the local Star newspaper.

"We decided to review and terminate [the contract] but that doesn't mean we can't reconsider it at some point in time in the future, provided economic returns are favourable to us.

"I feel 19 years is a good stretch and we decided to close the book and concentrate on other races here."

The 2017 campaign continues this weekend in Japan.