Singapore tipped to keep popular grand prix

Sep.22 (GMM) The relevant government minister sounds confident Singapore is staying on the F1 calendar.

Although the city-state's five-year-old night race is now arguably the most spectacular stop on the sport's annual schedule, organisers and Bernie Ecclestone are yet to agree on a new sanctioning fee.

The Times reports that, despite the fact Singapore's current fee at below EUR 10 million is quite low, organisers are pushing for a Monaco-style "no-fee deal" for the future.

The press thinks Singapore deserves it.

The Times' Kevin Eason said the floodlit ambience would "send chills down the spine of any Hollywood director", giving the organisers a rare and "significant advantage" in the negotiations with F1's wily chief executive.

The Telegraph's Tom Cary agrees.

"Organisers may be haggling with Ecclestone but this is one Grand Prix that is here to stay.

"Sponsors love it, drivers love it, fans love it; this race has energy, it has a future, unlike some of the duds which have been added to the mix in recent years," he wrote.

S. Iswaran, the tourism minister, is confident Singapore will win the day.

"We're quite optimistic that we can close the gaps ... if it works out, then we should be able to announce it quite soon", he is quoted by Channel Newsasia.

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