In my not-so-humble opinion, the Singapore Grand Prix is one of the highlights of the F1 calendar.
My inner magpie likes the way the cars shine under the lights, even if the track could do with a bit of a tweak, and my inner vampire loves the work all night, sleep all day routine.
Singapore itself is a fantastic city - the food is delicious, the people are friendly, and you can walk around on your own at 5am with no fear of crime. Walking back to my hotel late one night last year, I was approached by a group of men who were concerned I was lost, and offered me directions. Not the usual pre-dawn behaviour in a city...
If you ever get the chance to head to Singapore for the grand prix, grab it with both hands. It's a racing experience like no other, and one that I prefer to Monaco. (Heresy, I know.)
So where's all this going? Mainly I'm just chuffed that we appear to have another five years in Singapore.
This year's race was the last under the current contract, and there had been very little chatter concerning the progress of extension negotiations. Not that there was any real reason to think F1 would lose Singapore - the relationship between race and city continues to be mutually beneficial at present.
Bernie Ecclestone told the Singapore Today newspaper: "Everything that was in the way of the Singapore Grand Prix continuing for another five years has been cleared. I'm happy that this is out of the way because Singapore has been good to F1 and the night race has also been equally good for Singapore."
But as is often the case in this sport, nothing is as it seems. Despite Bernie's confidence that Singapore is go-go-go for the next five years, the race organisers aren't convinced...
"What is presently on offer from Formula One Administration is insufficient for us to commit to a full five-year extension," SGP revealed in a statement. "We remain hopeful at reaching an outcome that is mutually beneficial to all parties."
My inner magpie likes the way the cars shine under the lights, even if the track could do with a bit of a tweak, and my inner vampire loves the work all night, sleep all day routine.
Singapore itself is a fantastic city - the food is delicious, the people are friendly, and you can walk around on your own at 5am with no fear of crime. Walking back to my hotel late one night last year, I was approached by a group of men who were concerned I was lost, and offered me directions. Not the usual pre-dawn behaviour in a city...
If you ever get the chance to head to Singapore for the grand prix, grab it with both hands. It's a racing experience like no other, and one that I prefer to Monaco. (Heresy, I know.)
So where's all this going? Mainly I'm just chuffed that we appear to have another five years in Singapore.
This year's race was the last under the current contract, and there had been very little chatter concerning the progress of extension negotiations. Not that there was any real reason to think F1 would lose Singapore - the relationship between race and city continues to be mutually beneficial at present.
Bernie Ecclestone told the Singapore Today newspaper: "Everything that was in the way of the Singapore Grand Prix continuing for another five years has been cleared. I'm happy that this is out of the way because Singapore has been good to F1 and the night race has also been equally good for Singapore."
But as is often the case in this sport, nothing is as it seems. Despite Bernie's confidence that Singapore is go-go-go for the next five years, the race organisers aren't convinced...
"What is presently on offer from Formula One Administration is insufficient for us to commit to a full five-year extension," SGP revealed in a statement. "We remain hopeful at reaching an outcome that is mutually beneficial to all parties."
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