Singapore Grand Prix

Tourism Singapore Grand Prix
Tourism Singapore Grand Prix

September 2008 saw Singapore host its first Grand Prix – and Formula One hold its first nighttime event. The race exceeded all expectations and is to become a regular event.

The tight, bumpy track, illuminated by over 3,000 lights, threads through the city streets past colonial buildings and a crowd delighted to see motor racing’s biggest series taking place on their doorstep.

The Singapore Grand Prix is a motor racing event which forms part of the Formula One World Championship. The event takes place on the Marina Bay Street Circuit and was the inaugural night race and first street circuit in Asia designed for Formula One races.

The original Singapore Grand Prix was held at Thomson Road from 1966 to 1973, before returning to the calendar in 2008 at Marina Bay. Fernando Alonso won the inaugural Formula One edition of the renewed Grand Prix, driving for the Renault team amid controversial circumstances, when it emerged a year later that his teammate Nelson Piquet Jr. had been ordered to crash on purpose by senior team management to bring out the safety car at a time chosen to benefit Alonso.

The race itself was also notable for being the 800th Formula One World Championship race since its inception in 1950, and the first ever Formula One race held at night.

Since its inception, Marina Bay has been known for featuring at least one safety car in every race edition, with a total of 21 safety car deployments as of 2019. The Singapore Grand Prix has been considered to be one of the most challenging and unique tracks on the Formula One calendar. Sebastian Vettel has the most wins on the track, with five Singapore Grand Prix victories. In 2022, a contract extension was announced which will put the race on the Formula One calendar until at least 2028. Wikipedia

Leave a Comment