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Singapore F1 night race 2022 sets record attendance of 302,000 fans

SINGAPORE — A record 302,000 fans have turned up for the Singapore Grand Prix this year, beating the previous high of 300,000 set during the Formula One (F1) debut race here in 2008, its organisers said on Sunday (Oct 2).

Singapore Grand Prix ticket-holders walking along the Esplanade bridge’s underpass at the Marina Bay circuit park on Oct 1, 2022.

Singapore Grand Prix ticket-holders walking along the Esplanade bridge’s underpass at the Marina Bay circuit park on Oct 1, 2022.

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SINGAPORE — A record 302,000 fans have turned up for the Singapore Grand Prix this year, beating the previous high of 300,000 set during the Formula One (F1) debut race here in 2008, its organisers said on Sunday (Oct 2).

About half of those attending the three-day event are from abroad — including Australia, Indonesia, the United Kingdom and the United States — while the rest are residents here, Singapore’s Transport Minister S Iswaran said at a media doorstop held at the F1 Pit Building in Marina Bay.

Spectators watching a Formula One car from the Ferrari racing team return to a pit lane after the first practice session on Sept 30, 2022.

Race organisers had said in July that they were confident this year’s edition would meet the turnout of at least 268,000 fans in 2019, which was the second-highest attendance at the time.

Mr Iswaran told reporters: “It’s a reflection of the keen interest in our race, its uniqueness and the various elements that we wrap around the race as well. I think it’s a very good sign of how things are recovering in Singapore.”

The Singapore Grand Prix, considered one of the most challenging tracks on the F1 calendar due to the country's high humidity and nature of the street circuit, was last held in 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic brought global travel to a halt the following year.

The race here was cancelled and left out of the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

Practice rounds were held on Friday while qualifying sessions were held on Saturday evening. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc will start Sunday's race in pole position.

In a press release, Singapore Grand Prix organisers said that fans have “returned in droves, fuelled by the return of F1, the debut of two new support races and over 100 hours of entertainment over the race weekend”.

Singapore Grand Prix ticket-holders watching Westlife's performance at the Padang stage in the circuit park on Oct 1, 2022.
Westlife performing at the Padang stage in the circuit park of the Singapore Grand Prix on Oct 1, 2022.
Black Eyed Peas performing at the Padang stage in the circuit park of the Singapore Grand Prix on Oct 1, 2022.

TODAY previously reported that when the first wave of tickets was released on April 13 this year, they were sold out in six hours.

Singapore Grand Prix and the Singapore Tourism Board also announced in January that they had signed a new seven-year F1 contract lasting from 2022 to 2028.

On Sunday, Mr Iswaran said that there has been a "cascading effect for the broader economy", with hotel occupancy rates being "very strong".

Official data showed that the average daily room rates are expected to exceed historical rates of S$440 a night.

The transport minister also noted the number of Mice (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) events held during this period, with about 90,000 delegates attending. This included the Milken Institute Asia Summit held from Sept 28 to 30.

Mr Iswaran said that this was a "very strong indication of not just the interest in F1, but also the economic activity resuming in Singapore".

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Singapore Grand Prix F1 tourism Sports concert economy S Iswaran

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