Singapore gearing up for a grand prix
Singapore is reportedly getting serious about the prospect of being the next Asian city to host a grand prix, and they're talking as early as the 2008 season. Reports indicate that F1 head-honcho Bernie Ecclestone is in negotiations with not one, but two Singaporean groups about getting a Formula One race in their small city-state.
One group has already commissioned a design for a unique racing circuit from Hermann Tilke, the same architect who penned the newest tracks in Malaysia, Bahrain, Istanbul and Shanghai. The second group is apparently pitching a grand prix on city streets, following on comments made last year by FIA President Max Mosley that Singapore's streets are wide enough to have the race running through the city, Monaco-style (only presumably with increased safety standards).
Calendaring in a grand prix in Singapore would in all likelihood mean cutting out another race in Europe, following the contemporary trend of de-Europeanizing and globalizing F1. Although that carries certain benefits, with the squads based almost exclusively in Europe, that means increased costs for the teams.
[Source: Motor Authority]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
James2 7:41PM (1/14/2007)
I love F1 but a lot of those Tilke-designed circuits are boring and lack "drama", for lack of a better word. Tilke's tracks are typically wide, flat and featureless. There are few camber changes, even fewer changes in elevation, and fast (but too short) straights are usually immediately followed by slow hairpins. If this is all it takes "I" could design a track. The architecture of the grandstands, for example Malaysia's, is great, but "we" go to the races to see, um, the racing.
A street circuit, OTOH, makes it hard for spectators to see the entire race. Cramped streets like Monaco's make for almost impossible passing. Who wants to see a race won in qualifying??? If one race has to be subtracted from Europe to make a Singapore race possible, make it Monaco, even if it is as prestigious as any in the world.
Maybe someone else (with presumably newer and different ideas) can design Singapore's track -- or is Tilke the only one qualified to do so?
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GT_Arun 9:51PM (1/14/2007)
James, I think you have an excellent point about the difficulty in passing at Monaco and in turn the reduced entertainment value in the race. However, I think that might be the last race taken out of the schedule... To a lot of people, the Monaco race is viewed as the crown jewel of the F1 series.
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Jeff Banks 10:41PM (1/14/2007)
I would just like to comment that I hate all you Europeans for all the F1 and GT coverage you guys get.
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Andy F 11:41PM (1/14/2007)
No no no no no... I think we have enough asian races in the F1 calendar. Futhermore, a street circuit won't do.
FIA, the races i love seeing the most are the European ones, the ones with heritage and not some soulless shiny new track (although i've gone to see all but one of the Malaysian races).
As a Malaysian, I take much pride in having an F1 circuit. We can't let our (snobby little) neighbours do the same (cause they'll probably do it better and take spectators away).
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JonnyD 1:14AM (1/15/2007)
The original poster is absolutely insane and knows nothing.
Why are the new tracks flat with hairpins at the end of straights? Because flat tracks make it easier for everyone to see and hairpins after straights is where the majority of overtaking is done.
Then you go and criticize the Street races because they lack visibility and overtaking????
That makes no frigging sense what-so-ever. You complain about what you don't like about street tracks, so they make new tracks to alleviate those problems and you complain about those?!?!?
Insanity
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James2 12:48PM (1/15/2007)
Insane? Perhaps, but there has to be a better Formula (pun intended) for a race track than what is in vogue. Look at older tracks like Spa (which is actually a street course) for inspiration. Passing could also be accomplished on long straights, with emphasis on long, which Hockenheim used to have, but they took away.
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Sean 1:53AM (1/16/2007)
To Andy F,
I don't see any merits in your arguments. Why can't a new street cicuit do? So you saying the Sepang circuit is not soulless compared to the other new tracks?
Why deny a country's chance to host an F1 Grand Prix when they can do it better than their neighbours. Why are you afraid of competition. If Singapore can do it better wouldn't that be good for F1? Such competition can drive each other to be better rather than being stagnant.
I must say you have a very poor mentality and it is sad for your country to have people like you.
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daftsavant 2:32PM (1/18/2007)
I believe there's a tone of sarcasm in Andy F comment. A banter about two feuding (really?) country does not reflect his actual sentiment, but that just me.
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