80 per cent say F1 is good for Singapore: survey
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Some eight in 10 Singaporeans believe hosting the Formula 1 Grand Prix is still to Singapore’s benefit, according to a poll released on Monday (19 September).
The Blackbox survey of some 963 Singaporeans and permanent residents showed that just under seven in 10 respondents also feel that the benefits of hosting the motor racing event outweigh the costs.
The Republic hosted the night race in the Marina Bay area for the ninth time last weekend, drawing well-known F1 drivers such as Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton.
When asked about the benefits of F1 for Singapore, almost half saw the boost to Singapore’s economy as the greatest benefit, followed by the increase in Singapore’s international profile.
On the flip side, 46 per cent of respondents pointed to the disruption the race causes to public spaces, while 36 per cent did not like the high costs of hosting.
And while more than half of all Singaporeans said that they would like to attend the race, only 11 per cent said they could actually afford to do so.
According to Singapore GP, an average of 73,000 spectators attended for each of the three days of the race. This represents a significant drop from the 2015 race, which saw some 87,000 spectators daily.
