SINGAPORE SURPASSES SOUTH KOREA AS ASIA'S LEADING SPORTS TOURISM DESTINATION

Singapore has outperformed South Korea's Seoul to become "Asia's leading sports tourism destination" at this year's World Travel Awards.

Tourists pose for photos with the Marina Bay Sands at a popular tourist spot along Marina Bay in Singapore, July 24, 2015. Photo by Reuters

The city state held the title in 2023 but lost it to South Korea last year.

Singapore is a major sports tourism destination due to landmarks like the Singapore Sports Hub and events such as the Formula One Singapore Grand Prix.

The Sports Hub, a 35-hectare complex, includes the 55,000-seat National Stadium and the 12,000-seat Singapore Indoor Stadium, which host a wide array of international sporting and entertainment events.

The city-state's commitment to high-profile events, such as the F1 night race and major golf championships, further solidifies its status as a premier destination for both athletes and fans.

The World Travel Awards, established in 1993, recognize excellence in the travel and tourism industry and are often referred to as the "Oscars of the travel industry." These annual awards are determined by votes from both travel industry professionals and the public.

- Hoang Vu

MERCEDES SPONSOR CEO APOLOGISES AFTER F1 SINGAPORE GP CELEBRATION SPARK BACKLASH

Petronas CEO Taufik and George Russell celebrated the team's win at the Singapore GP

Petronas CEO Tengku Muhammad Taufik has apologised after participating in champagne spraying during the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix podium ceremony.

The incident occurred last weekend after George Russell clinched the victory at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, marking Mercedes’ first win in Singapore since 2018.

Having been chosen to represent Mercedes on the podium, Taufik joined the top three – which included Max Verstappen and Lando Norris – in celebrating the result.

In the excitement of the moment, he joined in the customary champagne spraying that occurs on the rostrum, a move that drew controversy back home in Malaysia.

Taufik, who has been CEO of Petronas since 2020, stated that he had not intended to offend anyone.

Meanwhile, he recognised that his actions may have been insensitive, particularly in light of cultural and religious considerations.

“I acknowledge that my spur-of-the-moment exuberance in celebrating that moment of victory may have been misplaced,” he said in a statement reported by The Straits Times.

“While I can categorically state I did not consume any alcohol, as a Muslim, I should have been more aware of the sensitivities associated with taking part in such celebrations.

“I want to apologise for any unintended offence caused and take full responsibility for my actions.”

The apology followed online criticism from netizens. Comments from members of Malaysia’s Islamic political party PAS and Bersatu’s youth wing, Armada, who said the act was inappropriate for a prominent Muslim leader representing a national company, followed.

Backlash and broader context

Petronas – Malaysia’s state-owned oil and gas corporation – has been Mercedes’ title sponsor since the German marque returned to F1 as a constructor in 2010.

The partnership has been one of the most successful in modern F1 history, with 122 race wins and multiple championship titles since their collaboration began.

In F1, alcohol-free sparkling beverages are used at podium ceremonies in countries where alcohol consumption or promotion is restricted. This includes Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Singapore, however, does not impose such restrictions, and the use of traditional champagne is standard practice there.

The annual hosting of the Singapore GP also holds special significance for Petronas, as it is the closest race to Malaysia in geographical terms.

In his statement, Taufik reiterated his regret. He said the experience served as a reminder of the importance of cultural awareness in international settings.

He added that he remains committed to upholding the values of Petronas and representing Malaysia “with integrity and respect” in all future engagements.

- Lena Ferle

THE KING 👑 OF SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX | MERCEDES-AMG

 

LEWIS HAMILTON POKES FUN AT FERNANDO ALONSO FOR SINGAPORE GP RADIO RANT

Lewis Hamilton responds via Instagram

Lewis Hamilton has responded to Fernando Alonso’s post-race rant over team radio at the Singapore Grand Prix.

F1’s most experienced drivers ended Sunday’s race just four-tenths apart at the chequered flag.

Hamilton was over 40 seconds ahead of Alonso, running in sixth place.

However, a late-race brake issue meant Hamilton had to drive the final two laps at an incredibly slow pace.

In a bid to get around the track safely, Hamilton cut several corners, which ultimately allowed him to stay ahead of Alonso.

Hamilton’s brake issue – combined with his tactics on the final lap to stay ahead of Alonso – annoyed the Aston Martin driver.

This led to an extraordinary radio message from the two-time F1 world champion.

Alonso said over team radio: “Oh, fu**ing hell, man. I cannot believe it. Yeah, he knew it. I cannot fu**ing believe it, I cannot fu**ing believe it. I mean, I cannot fu**ing believe it. I cannot fu**ing believe it.

“Is it safe to drive with no brakes? Oh, he should…” 

His engineer replied: “Yeah, no, no, we are looking to, we agree, we're checking track limits and stuff as well. You see, there's a margin there. Run switch warm-up, mate, run switch warm-up. That is P8 anyway, so good recovery.”

Alonso added: “Yeah, but this should be fu**ing P7. I mean, you cannot drive. Like if you are alone on track. Yeah, I mean, no respect the red flag yesterday, today, free track for them. I mean, maybe too much.”

Alonso was promoted to seventh after Hamilton was handed a five-second time penalty following the race.

HAMILTON RESPONDS

Hamilton has responded to Alonso with a subtle post on his Instagram story.

Captioned “18 years off…”, Hamilton posted a compilation from the British comedy One Foot in the Grave, in which the main character repeatedly exclaims: “I don’t believe it!”

It’s not the first time Hamilton has hit back at his former teammate.

Following previous comments from Alonso about Hamilton’s world titles – and the level of competition he faced in some of them – the seven-time world champion posted a cryptic tweet.

The post by Hamilton was simply an image of him pointing his finger at Alonso when they were teammates at McLaren.

The photo was from the 2007 United States Grand Prix, where Hamilton had beaten Alonso to the win.

- Connor McDonagh

OSCAR PIASTRI HAS 'ALREADY SET HIS SIGHT' ON LEAVING MCLAREN FOR £3.8BN -VALUED F1 TEAM IN 2027

Photo by Wan Mikhail Roslan/NurPhoto via Getty Images

McLaren driver Oscar Piastri was far from happy at the end of the Singapore Grand Prix.

For the first time in more than 30 years, McLaren have won back-to-back constructors’ championships, doing so with six race weekends to spare.

Lando Norris stood on the podium for the 14th time this season at the Singapore Grand Prix, alongside George Russell and Max Verstappen.

And while a group of McLaren staff celebrated on the rostrum with him, Oscar Piastri was doing his media duties and was facing some difficult questions.

Piastri felt hard done by after Norris bumped his and Verstappen’s cars on the opening lap to move from fifth to third.

Over the team radio, Piastri asked McLaren to swap positions, but Andrea Stella’s team agreed with the stewards that no further action was needed.

It created a tense atmosphere and has made the drivers’ championship even more exciting, with Piastri’s lead cut to just 22 points.

Norris didn’t believe he had done anything wrong in his battle with Piastri, but it has raised questions about their long-term future as teammates.

It turns out Piastri and his camp might already be exploring other options in the paddock after 2026.

Photo by Jayce Illman/Getty Images

Oscar Piastri has ‘already set his sights’ on swapping McLaren for Ferrari in 2027

A report from the Swiss outlet Blick has shared more details about the Formula 1 driver market

.The report suggests that both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton are considering their futures at Ferrari beyond next year.

Leclerc has recently been linked with Red Bull among other teams, while Hamilton could retire after 2026 unless he activates an extension in his contract.

This potentially opens up two seats at Ferrari, although the Singapore Grand Prix highlighted the current problems Fred Vasseur’s team are facing.

The £3.8bn-valued Ferrari team had to watch as both of their drivers suffered with brake issues, causing Fernando Alonso to go on a rant about Hamilton’s corner-cutting on the final lap.

The report suggests that while Norris and Piastri are staying at McLaren for 2026, the 24-year-old has ‘already set his sights on Ferrari for 2027’.

This would mean Leclerc or Hamilton having to make way, and creating a vacancy at F1’s most dominant team after just one year of the upcoming regulation changes.

What Lewis Hamilton has said about Oscar Piastri’s 2025 season at McLaren

If Leclerc does decide to leave Ferrari, then there’s a chance in 2027 that Piastri and Hamilton would be teammates.

The seven-time world champion has been through what Piastri is dealing with right now, having won his first title with McLaren in 2008.

Speaking about the Australian earlier in the season, via GPBlog, Hamilton said: “I don’t know him a huge amount. We sometimes talk a little bit on the parades, but he’s always been very easy to approach, easy to speak to. He’s clearly a nice lad.

“I think the job he’s doing is fantastic. It’s mega for me to see McLaren doing so well, because that’s where I started, and also to see them so close, him and Lando, two great drivers, the pressure on both of them will be unimaginable, I would say, for most people who are not experiencing it, and who have not experienced it.

“We’ve seen both, and obviously, particularly Oscar, doing a great, great job weekend in, weekend out, delivering, qualifying, and everything you need to do to win a world championship.”

Hamilton and Piastri would be one of the most chilled pairings in the paddock if they did end up together at Ferrari.

Who would come out on top if they were in the same machinery would be fascinating to see.

- Ben Evans

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GEORGE RUSSELL LEFT VISIBILITY SHAKEN IN SCARY BEHIND-THE-SCENES FOOTAGE FROM F1 RACE

F1 drivers compete in extreme conditions behind the wheel of their cars.

George Russell struggled at the Singapore Grand Prix (Image: Getty)

Behind-the-scenes footage captured from the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix showed George Russell struggling to keep his breathing under control as he was comforted by a Mercedes staff member. The Brit was visibly emotional when discussing the impact that the race had on his physical health. The Singapore Grand Prix is marked out every year as one of the standout races on the F1 calendar. The event was the series’ original night race and is also the most extreme in terms of cockpit conditions.

Temperatures within the cars can reach staggering highs of 60 degrees Celsius. After the 2024 edition of the race, in which Russell crossed the line in P4, the 27-year-old was struggling significantly with the conditions. After walking away from the track with his trainer, he said: “I don’t feel good,” and was told: “Everybody is struggling."

He continued to grimace in discomfort and said: “All my skin is like tingling.” When back at his motorhome, Russell climbed into the ice bath and, with a traumatised look on his face, told his partner, Carmen Montero Mundt, “It was sixty degrees in there. I feel really sick.”

The Netflix cameras were then shut out of the room, but microphones picked up Russell gasping for air while his trainer urged him: “Hey, slow the breathing. Slow the breathing, slow the breathing. That’s it, that’s it.”

Later, in his hotel, a shaken Russell explained: “My body totally overheated. I lost four kilos in that race. It is only afterwards, when you get out, that you realise that was pretty serious what we all did there. I think that sort of hit me a little bit. And that’s racing.”

Russell wasn’t the only driver who struggled with the Singapore heat. Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton joined the Brit in skipping media duties after the Grand Prix, instead undergoing medical treatment for heat-induced struggles.

"They are both suffering from overheating, but they are fine now,” team principal Toto Wolff said later on Sunday in an update to the media. “They put themselves in the ice baths, and I think that helped a bit."

Russell’s story is an example of the strain that F1 drivers put their bodies through during Grand Prix weekends. In similarly brutal conditions at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix, several racers required medical attention after the chequered flag.

Williams driver Logan Sargeant was forced to retire due to heatstroke symptoms, while Esteban Ocon vomited in his helmet during the opening stint of the race. Both Lance Stroll and Alex Albon were taken to the medical centre after stumbling out of their cars.

- HARRY SMITH

U.S. GP: MAX VERSTAPPEN TO CONTINUE FIA PRESSER PROTEST

Max Verstappen said he has not heard from the FIA in three weeks, since the Singapore Grand Prix. Peter Fox - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images

AUSTIN -- Max Verstappen hinted his protest over FIA news conferences will continue at the U.S. Grand Prix after not hearing from the governing body in the three weeks since the last race.

Verstappen, F1's reigning champion, was given the FIA's version of community service after he said the word "f---ed" at a news conference ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix.

After qualifying at the same event, Verstappen refused to answer questions in the official FIA media conference which followed, instead holding an impromptu media session with journalists in the paddock immediately afterwards.

Verstappen was not scheduled in the FIA news conference on Thursday in Austin, meaning he was talking in a session hosted by Red Bull outside the team's hospitality unit.

"I haven't heard anything," Verstappen said when asked if he would continue the protest. "So... yeah. For me, it doesn't really change anything."

Referring to the setting he was talking in, he added: "I will speak ... This table works well."

The only remaining FIA driver news conferences remaining this week are for the top three after qualifying on Saturday and the grand prix on Sunday.

Verstappen, who labelled the original decision "ridiculous" in Singapore, said it was wrong for the governing body to have suggested him swearing in a news conference would influence young kids to the same.

"I think already the world we live in, right? A lot of stuff is like that. I think this particular scenario, yes, I think is very unnecessary. Of course I know that you can't generally swear in context, but I think that's more related to when you insult someone and then you hear comments, but you don't want kids seeing that.

"Well, when I was five years old, I never watched a press conference in my life anyway, and I think at school you've said way worse things than that, because you grow up with kids. You're a bit of a rebel. You always say bad stuff. That's just how life is. You want to set an example, yeah, sure. But I don't think that they should make such a big deal out of it."

He added: "I'm not aggressive or whatever. Like I said, I'm just living my life, and when I don't agree with something, I'll say it."

There was a break of three full weeks without a race between Singapore and the U.S. race, but there was no contact in that time.

Asked if FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem had reached out to him since then, Verstappen said: "No.

"I'm always open for a chat. But from my side at the moment, it's not that I am the one who has to reach out with this stuff. I just live my life and continue. Nothing changes."

He reiterated later: "I've not talked to the FIA about it."

The FIA has not yet clarified when or what Verstappen's community service will be.

George Russell, head of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association, has confirmed the drivers will write a letter to the FIA over the issue.

- Nate Saunders, General Editor, F1

LEWIS HAMILTON ON HIS SINGAPORE STRATEGY | VIA INSTAGRAM

 

MAX VERSTAPPEN HINTS AT QUITTING F1 AMID FIA SWEARING ROW

Max Verstappen was reprimanded by the FIA over his use of language. Mark Thompson/Getty Images

SINGAPORE -- Max Verstappen has said he could retire from Formula 1 earlier than planned if the actions of the sport's governing body, the FIA, means he can't be himself.

The three-time world champion was sanctioned over the Singapore Grand Prix weekend after he used a profanity in the FIA's pre-event news conference on Thursday.

He was ordered by the stewards to "accomplish some work of public interest" after his use of the word "f---ed" in relation to the performance of his car was deemed to have breached the FIA's International Sporting Code.

In response to the decision, Verstappen only gave short answers in the official FIA news conferences after Saturday's qualifying and Sunday's race before talking to the media in full during his own private media huddles in the F1 paddock.

In the past, Verstappen has spoken about retiring from F1 at a relatively young age due to the number of races and his desire to compete in other series, and on Sunday said the latest swearing row had the potential to expedite that decision.

"For sure, these kind of things definitely decide my future as well," he said. "You know when you can't be yourself, or you have to deal with these kind of silly things.

"I think now I'm at the stage of my career that you don't want to be dealing with this all the time. It's really tiring.

"Of course, it's great to have success and win races, but you know, once you have accomplished all that winning championships and races, and then you want to just have a good time as well. Of course, everyone is pushing to the limit.

"Everyone in this paddock, even at the back of the grid. But if you have to deal with all these kind of silly things, for me, that is not a way of continuing in the sport, that's for sure."

Asked if he had made clear to the FIA that it risked pushing him out of the sport, Verstappen added: "At the end of the day, I don't know how serious they would take that kind of stuff.

"For me at one point, when it's enough, it's enough, and we'll see. Like I said, racing will go on, F1 will go on also without me. It's also not a problem for me. It's how it is."

Verstappen called the current impasse with the FIA "super silly," reiterating that his use of the profanity was not aimed as an insult at an individual.

He added: "For me personally, with these kind of things, I know, of course, you can't insult people. That is quite straightforward. I think no one really wants to do that.

"It's all a bit too soft really and honestly, it's silly. It's super silly what we're dealing with.

The 26-year-old believes the actions of the FIA means drivers will be unable to express themselves.

"Yeah, for sure. I mean, if you can't really be yourself to the fullest, then it's better not to speak," he said. "That's what no one wants, because then you become a robot and it is not how you should be going about it in the sport. It is going the wrong way to create that [authenticity].

"I think you should be able to show emotions in a way. That's what racing is about, or any sport.

"I mean, anyone walking around on a pitch, if they get tackled or get pushed, or they're not happy with something, or there's a frustrating moment or something that they get asked about. It's quite normal that there can be a sort of reaction."

He revealed he shared the stewards' decision with other drivers in a group chat for the Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA) and received their support.

"I wrote in the GPDA [chat] the ruling, and everyone was almost laughing, you know, like, 'What the hell is that?' Basically. So, yes, it is very, very silly."

- Laurence Edmondson, F1 Editor

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STROLL TO MISS SINGAPORE GP AFTER CRASH

Reuters 

Canadian Formula One driver Lance Stroll will miss Sunday's Singapore Grand Prix after his heavy crash in qualifying, his Aston Martin team said.

Stroll was able to climb unaided from his car on Saturday but Aston said in a statement that he was still sore and the team also faced a huge job repairing the car in time for the night race.

"The whole team are relieved that Lance was able to step out of the car after yesterday's accident," said team principal Mike Krack.

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THE GRID | #SINGAPOREGP