Singapore's steps to an F1 race

The Straits Times, May 12, 2007
by JEANETTE WANG

1961 to 1973: High-speed races, including the first Singapore Grand Prix, take place at the Thomson Road circuit. But the Government stops the races as it feels they promote reckless driving.

1990: The Singapore Tourist Promotion Board (STPB) makes a bid to host a leg of the F1 Grand Prix. In July, Bernie Ecclestone, then vice-president of motor racing's international governing body Fisa, says that negotiations are underway for a GP to be staged in 1992. A 5km track is earmarked to be built near the Bedok army camp for $20 million.

1991: Hotel and property tycoon Ong Beng Seng secures a deal to stage an F1 race here. But it does not take off because the Laguna National Golf and Country Club is built on the proposed 126-hectare race-track site.

1999: Malaysia becomes the first South-east Asian country to host an F1 race.

April 2005: Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew acknowledges that it was 'a stupid decision' not to build an F1 track in the Republic.
He says: 'I learnt a lesson and I'm telling my younger chaps, look, pay attention to all this, this is what will make Singapore buzz.'


March 2006: F1 supremo Ecclestone says he would consider giving Singapore the chance to host one of the races during the 2008 season. He suggests a street course, similar to Monaco's, would be most suitable.

April 2006: Minister for Trade and Industry Lim Hng Kiang says the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is 'actively looking' at a proposal to bring an F1 race here.

January 2007: Two groups - led by Ong and the SUTL Group's managing director Arthur Tay - are named as possible candidates to organise the race. Leading circuit designer Herman Tilke sketches a 5km preliminary route.

March 5: Minister of State for Trade and Industry S. Iswaran mentions that the Government is taking a 'serious look' at the Republic hosting an F1 race.

March 12: Ecclestone stops in Singapore, en route to the Melbourne Grand Prix, to discuss the possibility of the Republic hosting a race.

April 7: Ecclestone, in Sepang for the Malaysian GP, tells The New Straits Times: 'The Malaysian GP would probably remain at the beginning of the season, while the Singapore race will probably be at the end.'

April 24: The STB hires former army general Lawrence Leong to explore the possibility of staging an F1 race.

May 3: Singapore GP is registered with an issued capital of $20 million. The shareholding companies are Komoco, Ong's car-distribution unit, and Reef Enterprises, one of his holding companies.
Its officers include Komoco boss Teo Hock Seng, Colin Syn, president of Hard Rock Cafe, which is run by Ong's Hotel Properties, and Michael Roche, a director at Lushington, an Ong company that brings in international artistes.