Singapore Football Formula 1 Special: Todt confident Formula 1 will stay in S'pore FIA chief says country has committed and innovative people and could even stage a WRC race

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Formula 1

2011 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix



SINGAPORE - As the SingTel Singapore Grand Prix heads into its fifth year in 2012, there is already much speculation over whether there will be an extension of the sport's only night race.

Jean Todt (picture), president of the FIA, wants the Republic to be a long-term venue for Formula 1.

The Frenchman also told Today over the weekend that he will look into the possibility of the Republic hosting a stage of the World Rally Championship (WRC), as long as the authorities here are interested.

Arguably the biggest reason why Singapore clinched a Formula 1 race was due to the close personal relationship between local tycoon Ong Beng Seng and Bernie Ecclestone, the chief executive of Formula One Management (FOM), the rights holders of motorsports' premier event.

Ecclestone turns 81 next month, and Todt dismissed the notion that the Englishman will retire anytime soon.

Said the FIA president: "Everybody gets old. You get old, I get old, that is life. But Bernie is very fit and could probably go on in the job for 10 to 15 years, so we have plenty of time in front of us.

"He has been doing a great job and is still very healthy and motivated, I think he will be in Formula 1 for many years."

Singapore GP signed an agreement with FOM in 2007 to host a round of the Formula 1 world championship for five years, with a two-year option incorporated into the contract.

It is believed the FOM receive US$35 million (S$45.7 million) from the organisers for every race here under the terms of the current agreement.

While Singapore's Ministry of Trade and Industry study what kind of impact the race has had over the last five years, Todt is optimistic an agreement will be reached between Ecclestone and local organisers here.

"I am confident," said the FIA president. "I hope to see Singapore as a long-term event, because it has been a very strong Grand Prix in the calendar with committed people who are innovative and demanding on themselves, and everybody has enjoyed it."

Todt, 65, who is in a long-term relationship with Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh, was team principal of Ferrari from 1993 to 2007. Those were heady days for the storied Italian outfit, who plundered six drivers' titles - five through German legend Michael Schumacher and one through Finn Kimi Raikkonen - and eight constructors' crowns.

He became FIA chief in 2009.

With the innovation of the night race here, Todt feels Singapore could next host a stage of motorsports' other big series, the WRC. Each round of a WRC event consists of different stages of racing in various areas of a host country, and he claimed Singapore can overcome its small size by co-hosting with Malaysia.

"Singapore is a small country like Monaco and if you look at WRC's Monaco Rally, it starts in Monte Carlo and the rest is in France. We shall think about this and ask Tan Teng Lip (Singapore Motor Sports Association president) to follow up on it," he revealed.