Key F1 figure charged in corruption case

McLaren driving during sunset at the Singapore GP — Photo: © IMAGO

Singapore Grand Prix

Key F1 figure charged in CORRUPTION case

A Singapore GP rights owner has been charged

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Tuesday 8 October 2024 08:27 Updated: 11:59

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A key Formula 1 rights owner has been charged with allegedly abetting a public servant in obtaining gifts, and separately with obstructing justice.

The Singapore Grand Prix has been a fixture on the F1 calendar since 2008, with the night race around the streets of the Marina Bay Circuit providing enthralling drama for the last 16 years (barring a two-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic).

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2024's event saw Lando Norris claim a stunning victory by over 20 seconds to nearest championship rival Max Verstappen, reducing his championship lead to just 52 points.

It was the first race at the circuit to not have at least one safety car, with incidents often around the corner at a track which will stay on the calendar until at least 2028, after an extension to its contract was signed in 2022.

The Singapore GP has witnessed many dramatic moments

Singapore GP rights owner in alleged corruption scandal

Now, the owner of the rights to the race has been charged in a major corruption case involving the country's former transport minister, Subramaniam Iswaran.

Ong Beng Seng has been charged with allegedly giving certain gifts to Iswaran, who has resigned from his position having been found guilty of receiving gifts while in office.

It is alleged that Seng gave Iswaran tickets to the F1 race, Premier League matches and a ride on a private jet - gifts that reportedly total more than £220,000.

Seng was arrested by Singapore’s Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) in July 2023, and has now been charged.

He has not entered a plea but his company, Hotel Properties Ltd, have asked for a trading halt following the news of his charging.

GPFans have contacted the Singapore GP for comment.

Max Verstappen Lewis Hamilton Mercedes McLaren Lando Norris Formula 1