F1 racing track a reality???

I was surprised when i read today's article on F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone saying that there might be a possibility that Singapore might be given the chance to host a F1 race in the near future. Just a year ago, he didn't consider Singapore as a racing venue as he felt that the F1 calender is packed. Now, it seems to be a possibility and he even felt that if Singapore was chosen, a street-style racing track could be on the cards.

Firstly, the benefits of a racing track outweighs the costs. Hosting a race is not cheap as it can run into millions.Countries like Bahrain and Malaysia have however benefitted from having a F1 track as it is believed that 100 million dollars are pumped into the tourism industry. More jobs are also created as a result. Most importantly, this racing track will prominently put Singapore on the world map and we won't have some westerners asking us if Singapore is part of China when we go travelling. It would be another good reason for Singaporeans to stay put in Singapore and catch the F1 spectacle instead of making our way across the causeway during the weekend. i feel that we would benefit tremendously from having a race-track than not having one.

If a F1 track is a reality, i can foresee two possibilties. Either we are going to build a brand new racing track in an offshore island( Sentosa or one of our few unused islands if any) or we might convert Orchard Road into a street racing track. I would go for the second option. Imagine drivers racing at an insane speed in Orchard Road negotiating the turns and bends. It's just a crazy prospect which i hope will come true. It would be a dream come true for motor Singaporeans to get to see top notch drivers like Fernando Alonso, Montoya and Michael Schmuacher in action on Singaporean soil. The ladies will definitely get to feast their eyes on the Italian or Brazilian racing hotshots!!!!

Will Mr Schmacher, Alonso or Montoya grace our soil in the near future? Until then, I guess we have to wait and see what happens in the coming months and hope for a favorable outcome.