Go ahead for Singapore F1 street circuit

THE F1 Singapore Grand Prix street circuit has received in-principle approval from FIA, the world governing body for motorsports, Minister of State for Trade and Industry S Iswaran announced on Friday.

Expressing delight at the speedy go-ahead, the Minister said: 'This approval has come quite quickly, within just four months since we announced the hosting of the F1 race.'

But the race promoters, Singapore Grand Prix, are still awaiting confirmation on whether it can stage a night race, which will be held exactly one year from now on Sept 28, 2008.

Mr Iswaran said the race promoters, with the strong support of government agencies led by STB, have made good progress and are on track to presenting a very special race to the world next year.

He described the Singapore's street circuit in Marina Centre as a compelling win-win proposition for Formula One and Singapore.

'It will be an attractive and exciting Formula One race venue on many counts,' he said and went on to highlight the track circuit.

The Singapore Grand Prix is Asia's first street race and it will run counter-clockwise, making Singapore one of only three circuits in the world to do so, along with Istanbul in Turkey and Sao Paulo in Brazil.

Spanning 5.067km, with 14 left hand turns and 10 right hand turns, the Singapore street circuit will present several thrilling straights and tight turns for dramatic action that will not only test the capabilities of the F1 drivers but also satisfy even the most avid race enthusiasts.


From a Singaporean perspective, the circuit will showcase Singapore's skyline in the heart of the city and many historic buildings.

It will take the F1 drivers and half a billion television viewers past some of our iconic landmarks like the City Hall, the former Supreme Court, the Padang and The Esplanade. As you can well imagine, the scene outside The Esplanade will be quite different one year from today.

The in-principle go ahead for the circuit from FIA will pave the way for road works to commence.

The Land Transport Authority will manage modifications to some existing infrastructure such as road kerbs and traffic islands as well as the construction of a new 1.2 km road alongside the pit building that forms the start and finish straight.

The FIA will make several inspections on the progress in the coming months and issue the full circuit licence after the final inspection on the week of the race itself.

Mr Iswaran said Singapore is awaiting confirmation from the FIA on whether the Sept 28 Grand Prix will be the first night race in F1 history.

STB and other government agencies are working closely with the race promoter to ensure the lighting trials run smoothly, he said.

Meanwhile, Singapore GP will launch the sale of corporate hospitality packages in November and the season passes in December.

Night racing has become the latest fad in Formula One, even though an actual race has yet to be held under floodlit conditions.

Whilst it would certainly be a spectacle to have F1 cars screaming around the city circuit against the night sky, the economic dimension of having the race at a more convenient time for viewers in Europe is just as crucial.

Malaysia, Japan, China, and India have all been said to be looking at possible night races to cater to European audiences, who would have needed to wake up at 3 or 4am to catch the season opener in Melbourne this year.

Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone has already impressed upon Australian race organisers that night racing is imperative, with global viewership of the Melbourne leg falling from 339 million in 1999 to 82 million.

However, drivers have also been divided over the issue of safety, with some concerned about the possibility of a mid-race blackout, and blinding glare coming off puddles in the event of rain.

The organisers of next year's race in Singapore have given the assurance that safety is of prime concern, and a night race will only happen if the motorsports' governing body, the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), gives the go-ahead.

Recent trials of night-time racing in France were successful, and two more trials - one in Singapore and one overseas - are expected soon.
- The Straits Times

Football: Globetrotting Beckham can't lift Galaxy

David Beckham (L) of LA Galaxy is held by the referee as he confronts Jesse Marsch of Chivas USA after a hard tackle during their Major League Soccer game. - AP

David Beckham of LA Galaxy is held by his teammate as he confronts Jesse Marsch(L) of Chivas USA after a hard tackle.

LOVE WAR

Czech midfield star Tomas Rosicky (Left) will be under extra scrutiny as he is torn between his love for 'the enemy', his formative club, Sparta Prague, and his present club, Arsenal. -- Picture: AP

ARSENAL'S Champions League clash away to Sparta Prague today will be an emotional homecoming for Tomas Rosicky.

The Czech Republic midfielder will be playing against what he still calls his club for the first time ever in the crucial third qualifying round first-leg match in his home city.

The 26-year-old played for Sparta from a young age until he signed for Germany's Borussia Dortmund in 2001.

'It will be the first time I will be playing against them,' he told Arsenal TV Online.

'I grew up there. This is my club. I was there from (age) seven or eight until my 20s, and Sparta Prague prepared me for all the steps throughout my career.

'My brother played for Sparta Prague and my father played for Sparta Prague, so it is a bit emotional.

'It will be strange for me because I have feelings for the club.'

Five Gunners players who will miss the Prague trip were those not fit enough for Arsenal's opening English Premier League match, a 2-1 home win over Fulham.

They are: striker Eduardo da Silva (ankle injury), midfielders Abou Diaby and Denilson, veteran midfielder Gilberto, who was given an extended break following Brazil's Copa America triumph, and Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor (groin).

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is expected to name an unchanged side.
Said Wenger: 'Rosicky will be under pressure more than the others because of the extra scrutiny.

'It is a big game for the whole squad, because for us what is at stake is whether we qualify or not.

'He is classy and I feel he is at the age where he can get the right balance in the final third.

'He is sharp, quick and lively. What we want from him is key passes and to score goals. I am convinced he will.'

About his team's attitude towards the game, Wenger said: 'I learnt (on Sunday) what I knew before from the preparation - that we had great unity and desire and a great hunger as well.

'This came out in the game because we won a match that we certainly would not have won last year.'

Wenger knows it will not be an easy ride against the Czech champions at the AXA Arena.

'It is a vital match,' said the Arsenal manager. 'We want to be in the group stage. Nobody invites you to get in on a red carpet. Sparta are a good team and the first game is very important.'

Wenger is keen to see the Gunners 'fight' on both the domestic and European fronts this season. PA Sport.

Alonso penalized five places from pole after FIA ruling that McLaren broke the rules

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) -- Fernando Alonso was penalized five places from the pole position for the Hungarian Grand Prix after world motor sport's governing body ruled Saturday that McLaren had delayed his teammate Lewis Hamilton.

FIA also said that any points McLaren wins in Sunday's 70-lap Formula One race at the Hungaroring circuit will only count toward the driver standings -- and not the constructor championship.

Hamilton had questioned McLaren's tactics after a lengthy pit stop, resulting in McLaren team boss Ron Dennis, Alonso and Hamilton all being present at an investigation with FIA and race stewards.

FIA issued a statement at 2200 GMT detailing its ruling just one hour after the qualifying placings --with Alonso first and Hamilton second -- was officially sanctioned by the race stewards.

FIA's statement said that McLaren kept Alonso stationary for 20 seconds after the completion of a tire change and "therefore delayed Hamilton's own pit stop."

"The actions of the team in the final minutes of qualifying are considered prejudicial to the interests of the competition and to the interests of motor sport generally," the statement said. "The penalty to be applied is that such points (if any) in the Formula One constructors championship as accrue to the team as a result of their participation in the 2007 Hungarian Grand Prix will be withdrawn."

McLaren leads the constructor standings with 138 points to 111 for Ferrari.

Hamilton, who leads Alonso in the driver standings 70-68, will now take the pole. Nick Heidfeld of BMW-Sauber will move up to second and Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari will start from third.

McLaren said it intends to appeal against the ban on earning constructor points. The team has 48 hours after the race to present its case to FIA's court of appeal. It cannot appeal Alonso's relegation.

Alonso, the two-time defending F1 champion, will start from sixth place on the grid instead of earning his 17th career pole. Hamilton claims his fourth pole in his rookie F1 season.

Hamilton said a delay in the pits -- when he was held up behind Alonso, who appeared to be waiting for no reason -- cost him a chance to make another attempt at a fast lap.

"(Alonso) was told to stop and wait. His wheels were on, the (wheel) blankets were off and he was told to wait," Hamilton said after qualifying. "I lost half a minute from my in-lap, coming to the last corner and waiting behind Fernando. It does need a good explanation."

TV replays showed Alonso waiting after the tire change at least 10 seconds after he was cleared to leave before he drove out. Hamilton was waiting behind him with 1 minute, 48 seconds left in qualifying.

"Because of the delay caused by Alonso, Hamilton was unable to complete his pit stop in time sufficient to enable him also to complete a flying lap," the statement said.

Alonso said he didn't intentionally delay Hamilton, but was only following team instructions in the pit.

"They do the calculations, they find the gaps and I just drive the car," Alonso said. "I'm always ready to go. As soon as they put on the tires, I go where I have to go. Every qualifying we do this stop and we wait. Sometimes 10 seconds, sometimes five, sometimes 45, as it was in the stop today."

Earlier this year, McLaren's tactics were questioned at the Monaco GP when Hamilton was told to "hold position" in second place behind Alonso rather than bid for victory as the McLarens went 1-2.

Dennis has previously said that his team is under extra pressure because of the rivalry between the two McLaren drivers.

"There are definite pressures in the team, we make no secret of it," Dennis said. "They are very competitive, they both want to win and we are doing our very hardest to balance out these pressures. ... Today, we were part of a process that didn't work and the end result is more pressure on the team."

Felipe Massa of Ferrari, who has had four poles this season and the fastest time in morning practice, finished 14th in qualifying in 1:21.021. His team had to scramble and push his car back to the garage before his final run after Massa had stopped in the pit lane.

"There was a misunderstanding over refueling and they let me go without fuel. That's why I stopped," Massa said.

Ferrari and McLaren have won all 10 races this season, with Alonso and Raikkonen having three wins apiece, and Hamilton and Massa getting two each.

Massa has 59 points for third place overall, with Raikkonen in fourth with 52 points.

McLaren and Ferrari are also embroiled in a bitter legal dispute concerning leaked information and sabotage.

The main dispute began when a 780-page technical dossier on Ferrari cars was found at the home of McLaren chief designer Mike Coughlan, who has since been suspended. The documents were allegedly supplied by Ferrari mechanic Nigel Stepney, who was fired.

Apple 8 GB iPod nano AAC/MP3 Player Black (2nd Generation)

F1 body sends 'spy saga' verdict to appeal

LONDON, July 31 (Reuters) - McLaren's title prospects were plunged back into doubt on Tuesday when Formula One's governing body agreed an appeal court should have the final say on the 'spy saga' gripping the sport.

Max Mosley, president of the International Automobile Federation (FIA), granted an Italian request for a review of last week's controversial FIA decision not to punish McLaren for unauthorised possession of Ferrari information.

A FIA spokesman said the appeal hearing, in front of a panel of at least three judges, was likely to be in Paris at the end of August with leaders McLaren again facing sanctions ranging from a reprimand to being kicked out of the championship.

McLaren, with 22-year-old British rookie sensation Lewis Hamilton two points clear of double world champion team mate Fernando Alonso, lead Ferrari by 27 points with seven races remaining.

The next grand prix is in Hungary on Sunday.

McLaren, who suspended chief designer Mike Coughlan after the Briton was found to have some 780 pages of Ferrari technical information at his home at the beginning of July, said they were confident the appeal court would also clear them.

The Mercedes-powered team had argued Coughlan was a disgruntled employee acting in isolation and the FIA's World Motor Sport Council decided there was insufficient evidence that the team had benefited from the data.

ITALIAN PROTEST
Ferrari argued that the decision "legitimises dishonest behaviour" and Luigi Macaluso, the president of the Italian Automobile Federation, wrote to Mosley on that team's behalf to seek an appeal.

He said Ferrari, who were not allowed to appeal in their own right, had not been able to present their side of the story.

Mosley, in a reply published on the FIA's Web site (www.fia.com), agreed they had a case.

"Exclusion or withdrawal of points did not seem appropriate if it was really just a case of a rogue employee illegitimately acquiring information for his own purposes," he said.

"Your letter suggests that the outcome may have been different if the council had given Ferrari further opportunities to be heard beyond those that were in fact offered.

"Because of this and the importance of public confidence in the outcome, I will send this matter to the FIA Court of Appeal under article 23.1 of the FIA statutes," he added.

Mosley said he would ask the court to hear both Ferrari and McLaren as well as "any other championship competitor who so requests" to determine whether the first decision was appropriate.

If not, he added, the court should "substitute such other decision as may be just."

Ferrari, who are taking legal action in England against Coughlan and in Italy against their own dismissed employee Nigel Stepney, welcomed the FIA's decision as "a sensible one".

McLaren accused Ferrari of waging a "thoroughly misleading press campaign".

"McLaren is not aware of any new information or arguments that have arisen since the meeting of the World Motor Sport Council and therefore assumes that these same materials will now be considered by the FIA International Court of Appeal," the team said in a statement.

"Whilst this is both disappointing and time-consuming, McLaren is confident that the FIA International Court of Appeal will also exonerate McLaren and we will in the meanwhile continue to focus on our current World Championship programme."

Tickets for S'pore F1 race go on sale in Dec

Tickets for next year's Singapore Grand Prix will go on sale to the public inmid-December.

Companies that want to buy hospitality packages - where their guests can watchthe Formula One race in air-conditioned comfort and enjoy food and champagne -can start their bookings from Nov 28, said the event's organiser, Singapore GP,yesterday.

However, it declined to reveal ticket prices, saying they are still beingfirmed up.

Singapore GP, which holds five-year renewable rights to stage the race here,would only say that tickets will be priced to allow the maximum number ofspectators to enjoy the race.

But according to previous reports, the cheapest standing- room seats are likelyto go for $50 for the free practice and qualifying sessions, held on the Fridayand Saturday before a race. This is expected to double on the actual race day.

Grandstand seats at specially constructed stands or the Marina Bay pontoonshould cost upwards of $600, the minimum at the other 17 races this year.

However, the figure could rise because of the novelty factor - the Singaporeevent, scheduled for some time next September or October, will be the sport'sfirst night race.

Ticket prices for the Singapore race are likely to fall in between what ischarged at the Malaysian and Monte Carlo ones.

Prices for next year's Malaysian GP range from RM1,755 (S$772) for the bestgrandstand seats, to RM33 for a hilltop place, which means being exposed to theelements on a grassy knoll.

Tickets for Monte Carlo, the crown jewel of the F1 circuit, range from 475 euros(S$1,478) for the best grandstand seats to 100 euros for standing-only tickets.

Organisers are estimating that there will be 80,000 to 90,000 seats, but willconfirm the proportion of public and corporate seating only when the route inthe Marina Bay district is finalised.

But it is likely that 10,000 to 15,000 tickets will be reserved for VVIPs,VIPs, corporate sponsors, and guests of the organisers and racing teams.

That would leave about 70,000 tickets for the public.

To prevent touting, tickets will come with state-of-the-art security features.
Meanwhile, corporations are already showing interest in treating clients to theevent.

It is believed that the Fullerton Waterboat House, which is right at a hairpinturn where Esplanade Drive leads into Anderson Bridge, has been booked by aleading financial institution. The cost for the expected 100 guests is about$1,200 a person a day.

Hotels along the route are also getting regular enquiries about rooms.

"We're looking at almost 85 per cent of the room inventory being booked forthe race weekend if those on the wait-list honour their bookings," said PanPacific Hotel spokesman Cheryl Ng.

Pan Pacific and Swissotel The Stamford have also been getting calls from firmsinterested in booking meeting and ballrooms for fringe events during the raceweekend.

Leonard Lim
The Straits Times

Red day on Sunday

Tiger Woods is famous for his red attire on the last day of a tournament.

Many of the contending players on the British Open's final day also wore red.

Did the players figure that if they could not beat Tiger, they might as well follow him ?

Well, Padraig Harrington won wearing red.