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F1 Singapore Grand Prix 2008 - First Formula One Street Race in Asia

F1 Singapore Grand Prix 2008
26-28 September 2008
Marina Bay Singapore

F1 Singapore Grand Prix 2008 - First Formula One Street Race in Asia

In-Principle Approval for F1 Singapore Grand Prix Circuit

“Countdown to the Formula Race in Singapore to be held exactly 1 year from now – 28th September 2008”

The Formula One (F1) Singapore Grand Prix street circuit has received in-principle approval by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), via the Singapore Motor Sports Council.

The inaugural F1 Singapore Grand Prix will take place on 28 September 2008 on a street circuit of public roads around the Marina Bay area. The design proposal includes a bespoke state-of-the-art lighting system that will replicate daylight conditions. Subject to final safety clearances, the race will be the first held at night in F1 history.

The in-principle approval will now allow construction works to begin. In the coming months, the FIA will conduct a series of inspections on the ongoing progress. The full circuit licence will be granted during the final inspection, which will be in the week of the race itself.

The 5.067km long street circuit, consisting of 14 left hand turns and 10 right hand turns offers a number of overtaking opportunities, challenging corners and gruelling sections that will test the true capabilities of the F1 drivers. Slated to debut on 28 September 2008, the F1 Singapore Grand Prix is the first Formula One street race in Asia and is one of three races in the 2008 F1 calendar to run anticlockwise.

Singapore marked the one-year to the first Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix milestone with a celebratory event at the Esplanade, where Minister of State for Trade and Industry S Iswaran launched the countdown clock on Singapore GP’s website. The Official Formula 1 Singapore website will include regular updates and insider tips on the preparations for the race. The site will also be the main avenue for buying tickets when sales go live towards the end of 2007.

Set against the backdrop of downtown Singapore, spectators will get a close-up view of the garden city as the circuit winds past historic landmarks such as City Hall and modern buildings along the Marina Bay, such as the Esplanade.

Mr Lim Neo Chian, Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive at the Singapore Tourism Board, who chairs the F1 Working Committee, noted the project’s steady progress. “We are glad that the FIA has given the in-principle approval for the Singapore city circuit. The countdown to our inaugural race has begun. One year from now, F1 enthusiasts can look forward to experiencing the excitement of a unique street circuit in the heart of Singapore, which will take world-class drivers and their race machines past Singapore’s skyline, iconic city landmarks and tree-lined boulevards at thrilling speeds.”

To meet the demands of a street race, the Land Transport Authority will manage the modifications that will be made to some existing infrastructure such as road kerbs and traffic islands. The new 1.2km road that forms the start / finish straight will also be constructed alongside the pit building. Work on the pit building has already begun, and is scheduled to be completed by end May 2008.

Corporate hospitality suites and packages are on sale from late November 2007, with sale of three-day passes to the public due to start in December 2007. Single-day passes will be released for sale just before the Chinese New Year, subject to available inventory. With Grandstand seating and hospitality areas lining the track, everyone will be ensured of a great view of the action and an unforgettable F1 experience.