Shorter F1 road closure period to minimise disruptions

Organisers of this year's Singapore Grand Prix hope a shorter period of road closure will minimise disruptions to traffic and businesses. Roads will be closed for seven days instead of the 12 days last year. Race organisers will also be beefing up public transport services during the road closure period from September 23 to 29. During the race weekend, up to 650 more train trips will be added, which will run until 1.15am. But what is significant this year is that all taxis will be allowed to enter restricted areas, without the need for special F1 decals.

Restricted areas include Temasek Boulevard via Rochor Road, as well as the single-lane road along Raffles Boulevard. But the new allowance does not apply to race hours, when only vehicles with F1 decals will be allowed in. Race hours are from 9pm to 11pm on September 25 and 26, and from 7pm to 10pm on September 27. Organisers hope the new taxi access will attract more people to visit retail and food and beverage outlets affected by the road closures. Justin Chew, director of F1 project, Singapore Tourism Board, said: "We are a lot more efficient this year, and we are a lot better. All the safety considerations have been addressed. So there is no need to avoid the area."

For race ticket holders, free shuttle services will take them to the race venue from Lavander, Kallang, Outram Park and Clarke Quay MRT stations. Those who will be heading to the affected area are also advised to plan their journey in advance to avoid unnecessary confusion over the road closures. The public can pick up an information leaflet on the road closures at petrol stations, shopping centres and hotels.

Despite the new measures to ease traffic congestion, some feel that more can be done. Michael Ma, CEO, IndoChine Group, said: "I feel that a lot of the roads do not even need to be closed at all, like in Monaco. I keep hearing the same story that Singapore is different from Monaco but to me, the car is the same - the same driver, the same organisation, the same speed. Why do we have to go through such hardship with road closures, and disrupt the whole city’s lifeline? And for seven days, that is ridiculous."

Race organisers stress that public transport is still the best way to travel into the Marina Bay area during the Singapore GP season, and it is also a speedier alternative for fans going to the F1 Rocks concert at Fort Canning Park.

Winning names for Singapore GP turns Announced

The winning names for the Marina Bay Circuit: Sheares, Memorial and Singapore Sling

THE names “Sheares”, “Memorial” and “Singapore Sling” will be on the tip of Formula 1 fans’ tongues here and around the world come September, at the second Formula 1 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix.

Turn 1 of the Marina Bay street circuit after the start-finish straight has been named Sheares, after the Benjamin Sheares Bridge which runs over it.
Turn 7, the scene of many a thrilling overtaking manoeuvre near the War Memorial, will now be known as Memorial. And the tricky chicane that is the 10th corner has been christened Singapore Sling.

The response to the It’s Your Turn at the Singapore Grand Prix contest, a joint effort by race organisers Singapore GP and Today, was overwhelming. Readers and Formula 1 fans from around the globe were invited to submit their suggested names, and we saw entries coming in from as far away as Spain, the United Kingdom, Brazil and Canada.

Only those who adhered to the rules and conditions made the final round of judging, with contestants’ reasons for the names they suggested taken into account. The panel of six judges met yesterday to pick the three best names to christen Turns 1, 7 and 10 and had to sift through a pool of 1,440 entries.

After a blind vote, the three winners came from Singapore. The top prize of two grandstand tickets, a pitlane walk and a two-night stay at a trackside hotel during the Formula 1 2009 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix from Sept 25 to 27 went to wedding card designer Arthur Lim.

Showcasing Singapore

Lim’s suggestion for Turn 1, a nod to Singapore’s second President Benjamin Sheares, the bridge named after him, and the fact that the name hints of “speed and smoothness”, won the judges over.

Memorial, suggested by Ngee Ann Polytechnic lecturer Chan Kwan Yew, proved a winning entry because of its simplicity, ease of pronunciation and its ties to the past. “It is a significant site, honouring the victims of the Second World War,” Chan noted of the corner near the War Memorial.

The most talked about and challenging corner of the Marina Bay circuit last September was Turn 10. Fittingly, the judges spent the most time deliberating that turn.

Most entries zeroed in on the fact that the old Parliament House and the former Supreme Court overlook the tricky chicane, with Judgment Day, Justice Trap, Supremo and the Court among the better suggestions. But the judges considered the difficulty of negotiating the first of three twists and decided on Singapore Sling, submitted by Foo Say Boon.

Simon Rock, managing director of Performance Motors and one of the judges, said the first two turns were Singapore-centric and offered an opportunity to tell the world something about the country.

“Singapore Sling, on the other hand, is known internationally and fans everywhere can relate to it instantly,” explained the Briton.

“It says more about the turn. Drivers have to be careful here, but it can serve as a slingshot if they tackle it well.”

Rock’s fellow judge Colin Syn, deputy chairman of Singapore GP, said he was impressed by the quality and creativity of the entries. He said: “Throughout the intensely engaging judging process, the panel deliberated for over three hours to arrive at an acceptable shortlist.

“Getting to the eventual winners was a tough task, but in the end, the panel was in accord on the final winners.”

The other judges on the panel were Today Sports Editor Leonard Thomas, Singapore Motor Sports Association president Tan Teng Lip, STPB F1 project director Leong Yue Kheong and former racer Lee Chiu San.

How will it sound on TV?

When contacted yesterday, Lim could not contain his excitement when he learnt he had won the top prize. He told Today he had rehearsed in front of his wife several times before submitting his entry for Turn 1.

“I wanted to make sure it would come off nicely from the tongue of a TV commentator and that it will be easy on the ear,” said the 37-year-old father of two.
“Sheares is also an historic name because it is the name of our second President, but it can easily be used to describe cars cutting through the turns.”

Chan and Foo, the other two winners, each won a pair of grandstand tickets and a pitlane walk for the Singapore Grand Prix. All winners will be contacted by Singapore GP on how to collect their prizes.

====And the winners are:

====Turn 1: Sheares — Arthur Lim

====Turn 7: Memorial — Chan Kwan Yew

====Turn 10: Singapore Sling — Foo Say Boon

Ian De Cotta ian@mediacorp.com.sg

Red Bull Formula Unas

The world’s first night race on September 28 witnessed many firsts for Singapore, including hosting its very first F1 programme tailored exclusively for ladies – the Red Bull La Formula Una Program.
This annual event that is held exclusively by Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso – the two Red Bull-owned teams, which are the only Formula One teams with a dedicated program for the females. The programme offers a once-a-lifetime opportunity to rub shoulders with the who’s who in the world of Formula One, and to experience the sport in ways that will make the men green with envy.
VIP treatment is guaranteed both on and off track as the ladies, who will be handpicked by a panel of mystery judges, can expect four days of non-stop heady action, access to exclusive parties and glamorous fun. In addition, the agenda includes exclusive access to the F1 Paddock, pit garage tours, photo shoots, media interviews and possibly even the chance to dine with the RBR and STR drivers.

SINGAPORE FORMULA UNAS LADIES

MALAYSIA FORMULA UNAS LADIES

JAPAN FORMULA UNAS LADIES

Redbull's Singapore Virtual Lap

Singtel Singapore F1 Grand Prix Simulator.

I have managed to book a slot for this afternoon at the Comcenter to go round a few laps on Singtel Singapore F1 Grand Prix Simulator.
My slot is at 4 pm and I'll post pics and maybe a couple of videos on the event ( If I don't crash too often that is...)
Come back later to find out how it'all went.

How it all went ?

I arrived early so I got to practise some laps on the PC simulator first, for about 20mn and so did my wife ( Who doesnt have a driving license by the way)

Then it was time for the real stuff...

don't be disapointed it's gonna pass very fast. You are limited to 2 full laps or 10 mn whichever comes first and no extension allowed...

After it was all over, I had spare time to try on the racing suit and take some pics for souvenirs

Thank you to the staff on duty for their help and good humour.

Singapore F1: High demand prompts pit redesign

Floor area for the Pit Building will be increased. The additional work on the Pit Building will see construction costs raised from $33 million to $40 million.

In addition, fans paying $7,500 for the premier Paddock Club seats during the SingTel Singapore GP will soak in the experience in a bigger Pit Building that boasts more luxurious hospitality lounges.
On Friday, Minister of State for Trade and Industry S. Iswaran revealed that the enhancements made to the Pit Building design came about due to the 'strong demand' for these top-class seats.
'But this is a happy problem to have,' Mr Iswaran said.
According to Singapore Tourism Board's (STB) brand development manager Eileen Lee, the additional work on the Pit Building will see construction costs raised from $33 million to $40 million.
STB also added that construction is 'on track' before the F1 show rolls into town in September, and the posh structure is currently '60 per cent complete'.
While the floor area has increased from 18,000 sq m to 22,000 sq m, the extra 4,000 sq m do not translate into more seats available.
Instead, the Pit Building will continue to host the estimated 4,000 guests as originally planned.

Singapore Straits Time

More Singapore F1 tickets on sale from Monday

THREE-DAY grandstand passes at $498 each along the Padang for the 2008 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix will go on sale on Monday. A total of 10,000 tickets will be made available, while another 1,000 tickets at the same price on the City Hall steps will be released later this month once the configurations for seating have been confirmed.
.Organisers Singapore GP also said on Friday that details of one-day walkabout ticket passes and the launch of Premier Grandstands at the Esplanade and Singapore Flyer will also be announced soon.
.Tickets for the two Premier Grandstands are expected to be in the high end as they will include hospitality aimed primarily for corporate entertainment.
.In a separate announcement, ticket distributors OmniTicket Network said they have improved the ticketing system considerably, multiplying the number of connections the system can take by four times and installing separate connections for the call centres and over-the-counter sales at SingPost outlets.
.The improved system will now also be able to tell buyers making their purchases online of the number of tickets available.
.Apart from the website http://www.singaporegp.sg/ and SingPost outlets, tickets can also bought by calling 6738 6738.