F1 in Singapore—Reality or Fiction?

I really hope that Singapore can host an F1 race in the near future. When that happens, I will get my ass off my chair and stand amongst the crowd. Ok, so, I prefer to sit, sip champagne and watch from the grandstand. But whatever goes, I am cool.

Anyway, this thought is in relation to the August 2007 international motor race to be held as part of Singapore’s National Day celebrations.

Citing the Straits Times article by Nicholas Fang, the Government is keen on hosting an F1 race but would prefer to hold the race on a road circuit (just like the Monaco’s Grand Prix race) than on a specially constructed “stadium track”. Very practical leaders we have here. Reason for preference: more economical= cheaper. Yes, how very thoughtful. Not to mention having the race cars zip past landmarks like the Esplanade, Suntec City’s Fountain of Wealth and the quaint Raffles Hotel and having the awesome cityscape televised over screens worldwide. Ah, more publicity to the nation-state!

But a road circuit means disruption to regular traffic and the lack of training grounds for our country’s potential team of A1 and F1 drivers. Looks like the money is doing the talking above all else.

Daily Trivia:
The Principality of Monaco (more commonly known as Monaco is the world's most densely populated country and second-smallest independent nation after Vatican City with a population of just 32,410 and an area of 1.95 square kilometers.

Comparatively, Singapore has an area of 697.2 square kilometers today, and may grow by another 100 square kilometers by 2030.

So, an F1 Grand Prix race in Singapore is not just a distant dream if we are skeptical that our island is too small to host an event like this.