Can Singapore GP keep its crown as F1 night race challengers loom?

[SINGAPORE] When the inaugural Singapore Grand Prix lit up the Marina Bay circuit in 2008, few could have foreseen how it would reshape Formula 1.

That September evening marked the championship’s first night race, dazzling spectators with the city-state’s bejewelled skyline and festival atmosphere. More significantly, it became the first to demonstrate how the event could be more than just a sporting contest, with concerts featuring global stars, a clubbing stage and a showcase of local cuisine.

At the time, F1 was a very different business. It was under the iron grip of Bernie Ecclestone, before the ownership of the media-savvy Americans at Liberty Media and Netflix’s documentary series Formula 1:Drive to Survive helped propel it into the mainstream. Some F1 teams even struggled to pay the bills.