The Singapore government has launched an audit of the 2022 Formula 1 (F1) Singapore Grand Prix and is reviewing the terms of its multi-year race hosting agreement with the auto racing series following the arrest of the country’s former transport minister.
Subramaniam Iswaran, Singapore’s former transport minister, was arrested in January and charged with 27 offenses, mostly related to corruption.
Despite pleading not guilty to all charges, Iswaran resigned from the government over the incident. The case includes two counts of corruption, one count of obstruction of justice, and 24 counts of receiving valuables as a public official.
Iswaran is said to have received these valuables from Mr Ong Beng Sen. Mr Ong Beng Sen is an influential race promoter whose Singapore Grand Prix Company was the first to bring an F1 race to the city, raising questions about the legitimacy of F1 in the country and Mr Sen’s relationship with the government.
Grace Foo, the Singapore government’s trade relations minister, was unable to comment on the audit of the 2022 race or the investigation into race contract terms.
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At the time of Iswaran’s arrest, the Singapore government said it had no reason to believe that the country’s contracts or arrangements with F1 were “structured to its disadvantage”, but it is now investigating and auditing the current Grand Prix contract. It is carried out. His 2022 race proceedings to ensure compliance.
The Singapore Grand Prix has always been an integral part of the sport since the first race contract was signed in 2007 and then the first race was held in 2008, with the contract having been renewed three times and the current contract The period has been agreed to be 2022. No expiration date is set until his 2028.
Despite the uproar, a spokesperson for the country’s Ministry of Trade and Industry said plans for the 2024 race are proceeding unabated, and that 2020 will be held along the city’s streets on the nights of September 20-22. The event will be held at a circuit built in 2008. .
The race is a popular event on the F1 calendar, with the 2023 edition breaking US viewership records on broadcaster ESPN.
Coverage of the race, which aired live on ESPN alongside the F1 Kids telecast on ESPNU, averaged a total audience of 1.2 million viewers, at the time the largest audience ever for the race in the United States. , then that number was broken.