Yes, F1 has been degraded to a soap opera. The only drama is the interaction between the characters, and if you haven't been watching every episode for the past few seasons, you'll be lost and bored. But even your mother would have been fascinated by the Singapore GP. The local TV ratings in Singapore were higher for the race than they were for the Beijing Olympics' opening ceremony. Just looking at the track, which seemed like it'd be visible from space, you could have easily believed it was the setting for some Hollywood sci-fi movie set. It wasn't just the track either; the entire city was interwoven through it and glowing proudly. As for the race itself, we won't ruin it for you if you've still yet to watch it, but full results can found here.

[via Axis Of Oversteer] [photo: Reuters via dailymail]

The LED-flag system has been in development for 10 years now because of very strict regulations put in place by the La Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, or the FIA, the governing body for motor racing events, including Formula 1. This is surprising because the president of the FIA is generally known to be pretty loose.

Valerio Maioli, the same design firm handling the ridiculous lighting for the event, was behind the creation of the LED flags. September can't get here soon enough. [Motor Authority]

Fact Sheet

Official Title

2008 FORMULA 1TM SingTel Singapore Grand Prix

About FORMULA 1™ Singapore Grand Prix:

The inaugural FORMULA 1TM SingTel Singapore Grand Prix will take place on 28 September 2008 on a street circuit of public roads around the Marina Bay area. The race is the 15th round of the 2008 FORMULA 1™ race calendar and includes a bespoke state-of-the-art lighting system that delivers optimal visibility for night race conditions.

The race will be the first in Formula 1™ history held at night and is the first FORMULA 1™ street race to be held in Asia. Positioned as the Monaco of the East, it is the most anticipated race on the 2008 Grand Prix calendar.

Official website:

www.singaporegp.sg

Venue:

Marina Bay - in the heart of Singapore - just minutes from 5-star hotels, the MRT underground system, the bustling business district and historic landmarks such as City Hall and The Padang which form part of Singapore's heritage hub.

Start time:

2000 hours (local time)

Title sponsor:

SingTel, Asia's leading telecommunications company.

Race Promoter:

Singapore GP Pte Ltd

Sanctioning Body:

Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA)

Expected attendance:

80,000 spectators

Ticketing:

3-day Corporate hospitality packages were first released on 28 November 2007, to be followed by 3-Day general passes in mid-January 2008. 1-day ticket sales will commence before Chinese New Year, in February 2008.

Track description

Track length:

5.067km / 3.148 miles*

Race direction:

Anti-clockwise

Number of turns :

24, consisting of 14 left turns and 10 right turns

Maximum speed:

In excess of 300kph

Slowest corner:

80 - 100 kph

Overtaking opportunities:

Turn 1: Pit StraightTurn
7: Raffles Boulevard
Turn 15: Esplanade Drive

Track design consultant:

Kellogg Brown & Root Pty Ltd, Australia

Number of laps:

61*

Race Distance:

308.95 km* (*Info subject to FIA confirmation)

(If you are a maths whizz and HAVE calculated that the race distance is incorrect (5.067 x 61 = 309.087 km), here is the reason:
The start and finish lines aren't in the same places. The start line is at the beginning of the straight, while the finish line is somewhere close to the middle of the straight - hence the difference.)

Lighting System

Power

3,180,000 watt

Track Projectors

1,485 @ 2,000 watt each

Power Generators

12 (twin-power)

Power Cables

108, 423m

Overall Luminosity

3000lux levels (four times brighter than a sports stadium)

Set up

2 to 3 months, from second quarter of 2008 [CarScoop]

In an effort to placate its neighbor Malaysia, Singapore has imposed a rule that allows cars to leave the state with a 3/4 tank of gas, due to Malaysian complaints that S'pore residents were simply popping over the border and benefitting from the state-subsidized low, low fuel prices. But the crafty people of Singapore, who did a lot with no real resources but a port and some ingenuity (oh, and the caning...don't forget the caning) have figured out how mess with their gas gauges so they read 3/4-full when they're practically empty. Singapore citizens 1, Kuala Lumpur, 0. – Davey G. Johnson

Why are we subsidizing Singapore cars? [maylasiakini]

Related:
GM Says to Dealers: No Gas for You! [Internal]

Oh man, here's a big d'oh for the kids over at 'Yota. An estimated 88 million dollars worth of d'oh, to be exact. A faulty headlight switch installed in sixteen different models, including the Corolla, Platz, Vitz, FunCargo and bB has phoned in from Recall City. 1.4 million right-hand drive vehicles feature the switch, including 1.27 million of 'em in the company's home market, with the remainder of the stricken scattered across Australia, Thailand and Singapore.

Toyota recalls record 1.27 mln cars in Japan [Forbes]

Related:
Toyota Recalls 75,000 Priuses [Internal]