Singapore pit building converted to COVID-19 facility

Finley Crebolder
Kimi Raikkonen being pushed down the Singapore pit-lane. Singapore September 2018

Kimi Raikkonen being pushed down the Singapore pit-lane. Singapore September 2018

The pit building at the Singapore Grand Prix venue is being converted into a temporary care facility for COVID-19 patients. 

The Marina Bay Street Circuit facilities have been in far less use than usual in recent years, with both the 2020 and 2021 editions of the race cancelled as a result of the pandemic.

Said facilities aren’t going to waste though and, with cases rising in the nation, are to serve an important purpose in the coming weeks at the very least.

The pit building, which on a normal race weekend there hosts the paddock club and the media centre as well as other hospitality units, is to be used as a temporary care facility for patients.

“The Government has been exploring venues that can be used as temporary COVID-19 community care facilities and community treatment facilities,” said the Singapore Tourism Board’s Director of Sports, Ong Ling Lee.

“The F1 pit building has been identified as a suitable temporary venue as it has ready facilities and is not used for F1 race activities this year.

“In 2020, the F1 pit building was also used as a temporary COVID-19 swab test facility.”

If all goes to plan, business as usual will resume in 2022 with the Singapore Grand Prix the 18th race on the calendar, taking place on October 2, subject to a commercial agreement being reached.

It’s one of four races that, while being on the provisional schedule, doesn’t have a contract signed with the sport yet, along with the ones in Imola, Barcelona and Austin.

It looks that number will soon become four though with Circuit of The Americas boss Bobby Epstein confident they’ll get a new contract to host the United States Grand Prix soon.

 

“I think it’s gonna get done. I’m highly confident we’ll get there. I’d be surprised and disappointed if we don’t and I think [F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali] would say the same thing,” he said.

He added: “I think he already appreciates it. I think the teams and drivers have all expressed that they enjoy coming here, which is really satisfying for us to hear, and I think we’ll get there.”