(Oct 11): Singapore’s Formula One (F1) Grand Prix race saw a near-record turnout, bucking concerns that one of the worst regional haze in recent years would threaten the event.

Some 301,294 people showed up for the three-day event in the city state that will end later on Sunday with a night race, organisers said in a statement. That’s the second-highest attendance since the Singapore leg began in 2008, and just under the record 302,000 turnout in 2022 as the world emerged from the global Covid-19 pandemic. 

In comparison, the British Grand Prix — the most popular on the F1 calendar — attracted 564,000 attendees over four days this year.

Haze from Indonesian wildfires has choked Singapore, pushing it to the top of the global rankings for air pollution. Race organiser Singapore GP Pte Ltd had said there were no plans to modify entertainment activities which included performances by Lana Del Rey, Janet Jackson and other international acts, and mostly take place in the open air.

On Friday, the first day of the event, 24-hour PSI readings reached as high as 192 at night in Singapore’s central region, government data show. While the pollution index showed lower readings over the weekend, they remained within unhealthy levels.

Singapore’s Environment Minister Grace Fu said on Saturday she was in touch with her Indonesian counterpart, Jumhur Hidayat, to explore cooperation on the haze issue, The Straits Times reported. The dry weather in the region as a result of El Niño is making it harder to put out forest fires, Fu added.

Uploaded by Tham Yek Lee