F1 in Sg? Almost there....

Haha, 2nd post for today. Got this from the Straits Times about F1 coming to Sg...ooolala....U can be sure that i will surely be there to watch the action...n hear the roar of the 2.4L V8s....

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F1 in Singapore: Almost there By Julian Lim - 17 Jan, 2007 AsiaOne

Fernando Alonso brakes late to overtake Ralf Schumacher at the Fullerton hairpin, Felipe Massa and Kimi Räikkönen thunder down the St Andrew's straight at 300km/hr. Is this for real?
Maybe.
If one of two local magnates manages to wrangle his way to a deal with the powers that be, a warm-up, pre-cursor race to full-blown F1 madness could be coming to Singapore as early as August this year, if preliminary reports are to believed.
Property tycoon, Mr Ong Beng Seng and SUTL Group's managing director, Mr Arthur Tay, are engaged in a race of their own to win a contract with Formula One Management, as well as convince the local authorities of their plans.
Insiders have Mr Ong as the odds-on favourite based on his connections with F1 mogul, Bernie Ecclestone.
Leading F1 circuit designer, Mr Hermann Tilke, has already made the trip to Singapore to draft out what the eventual course could look like. According to reports in The Straits Times, the 51-year-old German promises "high speeds, tight cornering, and an exciting spectacle for spectators and drivers alike."
His design portfolio boasts the likes of the F1 speedways in Malaysia (Sepang International Circuit), Bahrain (Bahrain International Circuit), China (Shanghai International Circuit) and Turkey (Istanbul Park). Come 2010, it will also include South Korea's new circuit.
The concept of Formula 1 street racing brings to mind the scenic, but narrow Monaco course which measures 3.34km, shorter than the proposed 5km circuit Mr Tilke would like for Singapore.
When asked for a comparison between Monaco and the possible Singapore circuit, The Straits Times quoted Mr Tilke as saying that Singapore's would be a more "modern" course, but cautioned against further comparisons as "it's not fair to compare circuits because each race has its own character and personality."
And another possible "Uniquely Singapore" element to the race to be found nowhere else on the F1 calendar: Night racing
This would reduce the need for traffic disruptions within the vicinity of the circuit (i.e. the Central Business District). Better alert the traffic wardens though, lest they book any of the F1 drivers for bus lane infringements.
Other potential race highlights
- Start and finish lines on a floating platform to be constucted at Marina Bay, which will also house the pit lanes and race paddock
- Long, four-lane straight leading into a two-lane hairpin at the end of Esplanade Bridge.
- Raffles Avenue four-lane straight measuring 700 metres, which will allow cars to go beyond 300km/hr
- Local landmarks that could feature in the course include the Esplanade, Merlion, Padang, Raffles Hotel, and Suntec Convention Centre, the Fountain of Wealth, and Raffles Hotel
- VIP suites located at the Swissotel and other hotels along the race strip, affording commanding aerial views to those with deep pockets on race day.

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