F1 Singapore Grand Prix welcomes sell-out crowd of 300,641 fans over race weekend

SINGAPORE – It was a weekend of firsts at the 2025 Formula One Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix, as Mercedes’ George Russell

claimed his maiden victory

at the Marina Bay Street Circuit on Oct 5, while McLaren became the first team to secure the Constructors’ Championship in the Republic.

As British pop icon

Elton John brought the curtains down

on the three-day extravaganza of racing and entertainment, the Singapore Grand Prix once again proved a hit with local and international fans, with organisers announcing a total attendance of 300,641 over the three-day event.

This was 11.7 per cent more compared with

the 269,072 fans

 who packed the Marina Bay Street Circuit for the 2024 edition, and the second-highest after a record turnout of 302,000 in 2022.

The record was set before the route was amended to omit The Float @ Marina Bay, which could seat 27,000, with the revision made for the construction of NS Square.

Ngee Ann Polytechnic student Qiara Jesrina, who started following the sport in 2024, had a memorable experience at her first Singapore Grand Prix.

The 18-year-old began camping outside the paddock at about 3pm on Oct 5 in the hope of meeting and securing the autographs of her favourite drivers.

“I really wanted to see it in real life, so I thought I should come here today,” said the teenager, who managed to snag several signatures, including Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli’s.

“I have seen a few drivers and the seats are pretty good, and I am here with my friends, so the experience is pretty amazing.”

Racing in

F1’s first “heat hazard” race

in 33 deg C and 81 per cent humidity, Russell made the most of a surprise pole to claim his second victory of the season.

The 27-year-old drove a dominant race on the twisty 4.927km street circuit to finish ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and McLaren’s Lando Norris, becoming the sixth different winner in as many editions of the night race.

McLaren’s Norris and Oscar Piastri, who was fourth, earned 27 points for their performance in Singapore, more than the 13 points needed to retain their constructors’ crown.

Their victory here saw them match the record for the fastest coronation set by Red Bull in 2023, when they claimed their sixth constructors’ title with six races to go.

With the title wrapped up, McLaren’s duo will now have a fight on their hands for the world championship. After a scrappy race in Singapore where Norris overtook Piastri on Turn 3 of Lap 1 to the displeasure of his colleague, both drivers will be pushing each other to the finish line with Piastri 22 points ahead on 336 with six races to go.

The weekend also saw the return of the F1 Academy, an all-women series launched in 2023, with Singapore hosting the penultimate round in the seven-event calendar.

The 16th edition of the Singapore Grand Prix continued to attract fans like Singaporean Zandell Lee, who became hooked on the sport after getting his first taste of the race in 2024.

The 28-year-old financial consultant said: “It is not what I had expected. I had only seen clips of it from videos, so you don’t get the excitement from there, you just see fast cars racing by.

“But the first time I saw it (live), I could feel the power of the engine, the speed, even though we were only watching just a few seconds per lap. It was quite exciting, a lot more than watching (it on) TV.”

McLaren fan Don Soh, who has been to the race several times, was delighted to witness his team’s championship win here.

“It has been exciting to watch (McLaren this season). Seeing how much they have improved as the seasons have gone by, it has been quite interesting,” said the engineer, 28.

Off the track, the entertainment acts continued to draw in the crowds. Besides John, the line-up included

K-pop stars G-Dragon

 and CL, British electronic pop group Clean Bandit, American rock band Foo Fighters and Norwegian DJ-producer Alan Walker.

Even as the rain pelted down on Oct 5, fans showed up in droves with their umbrellas and ponchos to catch Lewis Capaldi and John on the muddy Padang pitch.

Briton Margaret Swinney, who attended the 2023 edition, was among those at the Padang. She was in town to watch the race and visit her daughter, who is based here. The 75-year-old retiree said: “We came two years ago, and we enjoyed it – my husband is a keen fan, he likes racing, so that is why I am here.

“It is well put on, well organised; the event is great.”