The first Malaysian Grand Prix was held in 1991 at the Shah Alam Circuit as the final race of the season. The event's remote location and the considerable expense of travel meant that many riders chose not to participate, resulting in a reduced field. The 500cc race was won by John Kocinski. A recurring theme of the early Malaysian rounds was the extreme tropical climate: high temperatures and intense humidity created difficult conditions for riders across four consecutive years from 1992 to 1995.
In 1998, the race relocated from Shah Alam to the Johor Circuit, a venue close to the city of Johor Bahru near the border with Singapore. The change was driven by the 1997 Asian financial crisis, which made continued operation at Shah Alam financially unworkable even though the Sultan of Selangor had long been a patron of the event. The Johor circuit was modernised and given a new asphalt surface ahead of the grand prix, though riders encountered pebbles on the track. A memorable incidental occurred during the Johor weekend when Lucio Cecchinello drove over a passing Cobra snake on track, which then turned and struck the leg of Gino Borsoi at high speed.
In 1999, the newly completed Sepang International Circuit — designed by Hermann Tilke and situated adjacent to Kuala Lumpur International Airport — became the host venue for both the Malaysian motorcycle Grand Prix and the Formula One Malaysian Grand Prix, both debuting at Sepang in the same year. The modern, purpose-built circuit offered dramatically superior facilities and accessibility compared to its predecessors, and the Malaysian Grand Prix became a fixture at Sepang every year until 2020.
Several significant events marked the Sepang years. In 2010, Valentino Rossi won his first race in Malaysia following his recovery from a broken leg sustained earlier that season in Italy. In 2011, the race was overshadowed by tragedy when Marco Simoncelli died following a severe accident on the opening lap, in which two other riders struck him in the head and lower body. The race was abandoned shortly after the accident.
In 2006, starting grid positions were spread further apart following a multi-rider crash at the Catalan Grand Prix. The same year, a thunderstorm hit the circuit on Saturday afternoon and forced the cancellation of MotoGP qualifying and the 250cc second practice session, creating a starting order problem that was resolved by using combined Friday practice times.
The 2020 Malaysian Grand Prix was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Racing returned in 2022 and the event has continued as a regular calendar fixture, now staged under Petronas branding as the Petronas Grand Prix of Malaysia. The circuit is contracted to host the event until at least 2026.
Title sponsorship of the Malaysian Grand Prix has reflected its era's commercial landscape: Lucky Strike branding in 1991, various Marlboro iterations through the 1990s and early 2000s, Gauloises and Polini in mid-decade transitions, then a long association with Shell's Advance motor oils. The current Petronas naming rights deal, held by the state-owned energy company that also sponsors the circuit itself, began with the 2022 return and represents Malaysia's deepest corporate commitment to the event.