TESTING TESTING: Senior Minister of State (Trade and Industry) S. Iswaran trying out an F1 simulator yesterday. It will be open to members of the public from Monday at SingTel's Comcentre in Somerset Road. -- ST PHOTO: MUGILAN RAJASEGERAN

But he stressed that the Government will continue to allow market forces to determine the prices, which have been set at over $1,500 a night at some track-side hotels.

Another reason for lowering prices, said Mr Iswaran, is for hotels to ensure that F1 fans have a good experience and return for the Singapore Grand Prix in subsequent years.

He said: 'The hotels know that this is a long-term engagement.

'They will, I think, do the right thing, in making sure that they price the rooms and make the rooms available correctly, so that...their customers will keep coming back repeatedly.

'This is not a one-shot deal.'

No F1 on mio TV just yet 'The rights for Formula One are with ESPN STARSports for the next few years, so mio TV won't be able to show this year's race. But we'll look to bid for the broadcast rights for the whole F1 season when it comes up, like we did for (football's) Champions League. Intuitively, it makes a lot of sense.' - ALLEN LEW, SingTel's chief executive officer for Singapore Speaking on the sidelines of the title sponsor's launch of build-up activities to the Sept 28 Singapore GP, he was responding to media queries on whether this year's race would be screened on SingTel's fledgling mio TV service.

His comments, on the sidelines of an event by title sponsor SingTel, followed The Sunday Times' report that some hotels could lower prices owing to lesser than expected demand.

Banking on the keen interest in what is set to be F1's first night race, Singapore hoteliers have upped prices three or four times the norm for the Sept 22-28 race week.

Elsewhere, hotel prices in most F1 venues are double the norm. But, in glamorous Monaco, they can be three to five times the usual rates.

Many local hotels are also imposing minimum stays of between three and five nights for the race period.

All this has caused ripples of discontent, with some overseas fans like Australian Jeff Goodridge calling it a 'blatant money grab' and deciding to skip the Singapore race altogether.

Industry sources said many hotels have yet to secure bookings for more than half their rooms.

One five-star hotel in the city centre is even looking at less than 20 per cent occupancy for the F1 period.

Even the foreign media has been complaining.

Mr Iswaran said he was aware of the problem and that the Singapore Tourism Board was working to resolve the issue.

At yesterday's event at SingTel's Comcentre in Somerset Road, Mr Iswaran tried a custom-built F1 simulator that replicates the night race on the Marina Bay street circuit. The simulator will be open to the public for free from Monday.

A second simulator will be brought here next month and will make its rounds at heartlands around the island to engage the masses ahead of the race.

Other activities include a free F1 game downloadable to mobile phones, and predicting the various Grand Prix champions, with the overall winner getting a replica of the driver's trophy for the Singapore race.

A total of 48 SingTel Grid Girls for the race will also be picked through a judging process, starting next month. The public can vote for their favourite girl through a television series to be screened in August.

For more information and to take part in the activities, visit www.singtelrace.com.

limze@sph.com.sg