However, viewers and racing fans nationwide will not miss out on any of the action and can tune in to the festival online via Toyota’s website and social media platforms.
UMW Toyota Motor president Ravindran K said the concept of the festival remained unchanged but only the manner in which it reaches out to the public in these extraordinary and challenging times.
"The Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival has primarily been about bringing motorsports to the masses and we will continue to do this,” he said.
While the on-ground atmosphere will be void of fans, Ravindran said the silver lining is that the opportunity to live stream the festival and entire race weekend would reach out to an even larger and wider audience, including racing fans outside of Malaysia, who won’t miss a beat tuning into the action from the comfort and safety of their homes.
“The people who have come to the Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival over the past three seasons have done so for many different reasons.
"Some come for the racing, others for the chance to spend time with their favourite celebrities, and there are those who are there for the so many different on-ground activities and attractions.
"Moving forward, it is imperative we continue with this even if it means going online, as this is what has fundamentally made the festival unique and a huge success,” he said.
On track action come in the form of four classes of racing which includes the inaugural running of the Rookie Class that will see six new graduates of the Gazoo Racing Young Talent Development Programme stepping up from karting and simulator to making their debut in saloon car racing.
Meanwhile, the Promotional Class will field 10 local popular celebrities, three of whom are new faces while the Sporting Class is for amateur drivers; and the Super Sporting Class for elite and professional drivers.
Race fans can look forward to door-to-door battle that will include three qualifying sessions, six individual races, pit lane insights and interviews with racers.
A new live stream entertainment segment is introduced for the first time for the broadcast, called Toyota Gazoo Racing OFFTHEGRID.
It will be anchored by the 10 local celebrities who are also racing in the Vios Challenge!
They include actor Shukri Yahaya, actress Janna Nick, presenter Nabil Ahmad, and singers Wany Hasrita, Nabila Razali and Khai Bahar.
The three newcomers to Season 4 are actor Zizan Razak, singer/song writer Talitha Tan, television personality Ahirine Ahirudin.
All will be competing in the Promotional Class with the exception of beat boxer and two-time Promotional Class champion Shawn Lee who now moves up to take on the big boys in the Sporting Class for amateurs.
In a segment called Jom Duet Bersama Khai Bahar, Wany Hasrita and Nabila Razali, fans are invited to participate in an acting and singing duet challenge with the best submissions to be aired during the live stream.
Two of Malaysia’s leading comedians Nabil Ahmad and Zizak Razak will also join forces for Latah Positif and Berita Apani, giving viewers a quirky insight into the festival.
In Melodi Misteri, celebrities will take turns to sing out loud a song that only they can hear while wearing a racing helmet and fans will have to guess the song they are listening to.
Toyota’s six new young drivers (simulator racers Mika Hakimi, 17 and Naquib Azlan, 20; and karters Amer Harris, 17; Jwan Hii, 18; Putera Adam, 14; and Troy Eimann, 16) and Gazoo Racing Ambassador Tengku Djan Ley Tengku Mahaleel will also go head to head in a battle to test their reaction times in a series of challenges off the circuit in Toyota Arena Bersama Rookies & Tengku Djan.
Fresh from completing their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examination, two rookies Amer Harris and Mika Hakimi will host Did You SPM?, where they will ask racers, mechanics and race officials random SPM questions in a test of wits.
Ending the live stream broadcast on Saturday and Sunday will be a live performance by the celebrities, something fans to the Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival have always looked forward to.
All the action of Round 1 will be broadcast live on the UMW Toyota Motor and Toyota Gazoo Racing Malaysia website at https://toyota.com.my/tgrmalaysia/, and on the Toyota Malaysia and Toyota Gazoo Racing Malaysia Facebook pages.
Broadcast times will be from 8.45am–12.10pm, and 2pm–6pm on Saturday, and from 10.45am–1pm, and 1.30pm-5.30pm on Sunday.
For details, log on to https://toyota.com.my/tgrmalaysia/.
