Singapore Tourism Board looking into F1 race

The Straits Times, April 25, 2007,
By Alvin Foo


EVEN as the finer details of the Singapore Formula One race are being sorted out, the wheels are already in motion at the Singapore Tourism Board.

The STB has hired a former army general to explore the possibility of hosting an F1 race here.

Yesterday, STB chief executive and deputy chairman Lim Neo Chian told The Straits Times: 'Mr Leong Yue Kheong, Lawrence, joined STB on March 23.

'Among the projects that Lawrence is working on, he is also helping to look into the possibility of hosting an F1 Grand Prix in Singapore.'

Formerly the Republic's military adviser to the United Nations, Brigadier-General (Ret) Leong was also the Assistant Chief of General Staff (Training).

He could not be contacted for comment yesterday.

A consortium led by hotelier Ong Beng Seng is in negotiations with F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone to bring the race to Singapore.

A race could happen as early as the end of next year in the Marina and Esplanade area, on a proposed 4.8km route designed by German Hermann Tilke.

Lim added: 'To date, the Government has not received a firm proposal for the staging of the F1 race in Singapore.

'So until that happens, we are not in a position to move more decisively on the matter.'