<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=452><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width=452 colSpan=2>Published September 28, 2009
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=452 colSpan=2>SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=452 colSpan=2>Dazzling race buries Crashgate echoes
Hamilton wins a thriller but the biggest winner is Formula One
By SAMUEL EE
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</TD><TD>Feedback</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>(SINGAPORE) An economic downturn and a race-fixing scandal were almost forgotten as roaring cars wrote another gripping story on Singapore's streets and reminded the world why Formula One (F1) remains the real deal.
<TABLE class=picBoxL cellSpacing=2 width=100 align=left><TBODY><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR class=caption><TD>Impressive showing: A member of the support staff gives Lewis Hamilton the thumbs up for a job well done </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>In a race packed with surprises but decided by attrition, Lewis Hamilton charged to victory from pole position in his McLaren-Mercedes last night at the 2009 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix. Toyota's Timo Glock was close behind in the night race at the Marina Bay street circuit, which did not see a drop of rain fall. Brawn's Jenson Button, who finished fifth, is still the championship leader and his gutsy showing pushed him closer to this year's crown.
There were no longer any questions about the effectiveness of the 1,500 light projectors illuminating the track.
The safety car did make an appearance, but this time there were no suggestions of Crashgate. It came on after Force India's Adrian Sutil spun, clipping a wheel off Nick Heidfeld's BMW-Sauber.
At last year's inaugural F1 race, the safety car came out after Renault driver Nelson Piquet Jr deliberately crashed his car at the floating platform in a bid to give teammate Fernando Alonso an advantage. Alonso went on to take the chequered flag then. This year, the Spaniard came in third but fairly and squarely. Then he dropped a bombshell by hinting that he might leave Renault.
'This podium (finish) doesn't change anything,' the Spaniard said with a smile. 'I made a decision already . . . and soon we will know.' He has been strongly linked with a move to Ferrari.
Six of the 20 cars that had lined up on the grid yesterday retired amid warm and humid conditions on a bumpy track.
Brawn edged closer to claiming the constructors' title in their debut season as rivals Red Bull let slip a great opportunity to narrow the gap between the teams.
Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel had started alongside Hamilton on the front row but a drive-through penalty for speeding through the pit lane on his second stop ended any hope the German had of winning the race. He had to settle for fourth place.
Some of the drivers, such as Hamilton, still complained about the bumps despite race organiser Singapore GP (SGP) making major improvements to the track surface, especially at Turns 5, 6 and 7. The outer pit lane was also resurfaced.
With its many corners (23) and numerous changes in direction, the anti-clockwise Marina Bay street circuit remained a challenging one. The top speed is 300kmh but the average lap speed is only about 172kmh - higher than the historic Monaco street circuit but lower than at contemporary street tracks in Melbourne and Montreal.
But there is no doubt that the Singapore leg is unique. Racing after dark under ultra-bright floodlights, against the backdrop of a modern-city nightscape, the atmosphere for the fans is electric. The surreal whine of the cars on the track was set off against a circuit dotted with giant lanterns, F&B stands and merchandising stalls. Altogether, it felt like a very big and special outdoor party.
That was the exact impression that Hamilton conveyed as he emerged from his cockpit to kiss pop singer girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger at the end of a gruelling race. Button, who is here with his own lingerie model girlfriend Jessica Celeste Michibata, was no less relieved as he widened his lead over teammate Rubens Barrichello.
SGP said 95 per cent of the 83,000 tickets available for the three-day event were sold. This means about 79,000 people attended last night's race, compared with last year's 100,000.
The number of suites on offer also dipped, from 180 last year to 160 this year. Room rates at trackside hotels were also down, some by as much as 60 per cent, though this caused occupancy rates to soar above 90 per cent.
SGP's Circuit Park entertainment budget swelled to $4 million this year, up from $1.2 million last year. But for most, the action on the track provided all the excitement they could have asked for.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=452 colSpan=2>SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=452 colSpan=2>Dazzling race buries Crashgate echoes
Hamilton wins a thriller but the biggest winner is Formula One
By SAMUEL EE
<TABLE class=storyLinks border=0 cellSpacing=4 cellPadding=1 width=136 align=right><TBODY><TR class=font10><TD width=20 align=right>
</TD><TD>Email this article</TD></TR><TR class=font10><TD width=20 align=right>
</TD><TD>Print article </TD></TR><TR class=font10><TD width=20 align=right>
</TD><TD>Feedback</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>(SINGAPORE) An economic downturn and a race-fixing scandal were almost forgotten as roaring cars wrote another gripping story on Singapore's streets and reminded the world why Formula One (F1) remains the real deal.<TABLE class=picBoxL cellSpacing=2 width=100 align=left><TBODY><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR class=caption><TD>Impressive showing: A member of the support staff gives Lewis Hamilton the thumbs up for a job well done </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>In a race packed with surprises but decided by attrition, Lewis Hamilton charged to victory from pole position in his McLaren-Mercedes last night at the 2009 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix. Toyota's Timo Glock was close behind in the night race at the Marina Bay street circuit, which did not see a drop of rain fall. Brawn's Jenson Button, who finished fifth, is still the championship leader and his gutsy showing pushed him closer to this year's crown. There were no longer any questions about the effectiveness of the 1,500 light projectors illuminating the track.
The safety car did make an appearance, but this time there were no suggestions of Crashgate. It came on after Force India's Adrian Sutil spun, clipping a wheel off Nick Heidfeld's BMW-Sauber.
At last year's inaugural F1 race, the safety car came out after Renault driver Nelson Piquet Jr deliberately crashed his car at the floating platform in a bid to give teammate Fernando Alonso an advantage. Alonso went on to take the chequered flag then. This year, the Spaniard came in third but fairly and squarely. Then he dropped a bombshell by hinting that he might leave Renault.
'This podium (finish) doesn't change anything,' the Spaniard said with a smile. 'I made a decision already . . . and soon we will know.' He has been strongly linked with a move to Ferrari.
Six of the 20 cars that had lined up on the grid yesterday retired amid warm and humid conditions on a bumpy track.
Brawn edged closer to claiming the constructors' title in their debut season as rivals Red Bull let slip a great opportunity to narrow the gap between the teams.
Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel had started alongside Hamilton on the front row but a drive-through penalty for speeding through the pit lane on his second stop ended any hope the German had of winning the race. He had to settle for fourth place.
Some of the drivers, such as Hamilton, still complained about the bumps despite race organiser Singapore GP (SGP) making major improvements to the track surface, especially at Turns 5, 6 and 7. The outer pit lane was also resurfaced.
With its many corners (23) and numerous changes in direction, the anti-clockwise Marina Bay street circuit remained a challenging one. The top speed is 300kmh but the average lap speed is only about 172kmh - higher than the historic Monaco street circuit but lower than at contemporary street tracks in Melbourne and Montreal.
But there is no doubt that the Singapore leg is unique. Racing after dark under ultra-bright floodlights, against the backdrop of a modern-city nightscape, the atmosphere for the fans is electric. The surreal whine of the cars on the track was set off against a circuit dotted with giant lanterns, F&B stands and merchandising stalls. Altogether, it felt like a very big and special outdoor party.
That was the exact impression that Hamilton conveyed as he emerged from his cockpit to kiss pop singer girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger at the end of a gruelling race. Button, who is here with his own lingerie model girlfriend Jessica Celeste Michibata, was no less relieved as he widened his lead over teammate Rubens Barrichello.
SGP said 95 per cent of the 83,000 tickets available for the three-day event were sold. This means about 79,000 people attended last night's race, compared with last year's 100,000.
The number of suites on offer also dipped, from 180 last year to 160 this year. Room rates at trackside hotels were also down, some by as much as 60 per cent, though this caused occupancy rates to soar above 90 per cent.
SGP's Circuit Park entertainment budget swelled to $4 million this year, up from $1.2 million last year. But for most, the action on the track provided all the excitement they could have asked for.
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