SINGAPORE — The Singapore Grand Prix is preparing for a threat that has nothing to do with tyre strategy, mechanical failures or tropical rain: haze.
With authorities warning of an elevated risk of severe transboundary haze in the second half of 2026, organisers of Singapore’s Formula 1 race have confirmed that haze scenarios are already covered by the event’s contingency planning.
The preparations come as dry weather and strong El Niño conditions raise concerns that fires in parts of Indonesia could send smoke across the region and towards Singapore.
The Meteorological Service Singapore said Singapore could experience hazy conditions if fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan intensify while dry conditions persist.
For one of Asia’s biggest international sporting events, that possibility is being taken seriously.
Singapore GP Has a Contingency Plan
Singapore GP said its overall contingency plan accounts for the possibility of haze and has been developed and refined together with government agencies and other stakeholders.
If deteriorating air quality creates problems involving visibility, public health or race operations, organisers and government agencies would assess conditions before collectively deciding what action should be taken.
That does not mean the race is currently under threat of cancellation.
Instead, it means authorities are preparing for several possible scenarios rather than waiting until air quality deteriorates.
Singapore’s interagency Haze Task Force said government agencies would coordinate with Singapore GP according to prevailing 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) and hourly PM2.5 readings.
Possible measures include providing spectators and personnel with updated information about air quality, ensuring medical assistance is available and making N95 masks accessible at the circuit if necessary.
Current Air Quality Is Still Moderate
Despite the growing concern, Singapore’s air quality has not reached the levels that would automatically signal a major public-health crisis.
At the time of CNA’s Aug. 19 report, Singapore’s PSI remained in the moderate range of 51 to 100.
Under Singapore’s air-quality classifications:
- PSI 51–100 is moderate
- PSI 101–200 is unhealthy
- PSI 201–300 is very unhealthy
- PSI above 300 is hazardous
The concern is therefore less about conditions today than about what could develop if prolonged dry weather contributes to more fires in neighbouring Indonesia.
Singapore Has Been Here Before
There is a reason Formula 1 organisers are preparing early.
During the 2019 Singapore Grand Prix, haze from Indonesian forest fires pushed Singapore’s air quality into unhealthy territory.
Despite the conditions, roughly 268,000 spectators attended the race weekend. Organisers deployed first aiders and made N95 masks available for people who needed them.
The race went ahead, but the episode demonstrated how quickly a regional environmental problem could become an operational challenge for one of Singapore’s biggest tourism events.
An even more severe regional haze crisis occurred in 2015.
Reuters reported at the time that dense haze was hanging over Singapore ahead of the Formula 1 race, prompting organisers to maintain contingency plans and coordinate with authorities.
The race ultimately proceeded despite the haze.
That history is particularly relevant in 2026 because Singapore authorities now assess the risk of severe transboundary haze as elevated.
It’s Not Just Formula 1 Preparing
The preparations extend well beyond the Marina Bay Street Circuit.
Singapore’s interagency Haze Task Force, chaired by the National Environment Agency, comprises 28 government agencies, including the Ministry of Trade and Industry and Singapore Tourism Board.
The task force reconvened in April to review and update agencies’ response plans ahead of the possible return of significant transboundary haze.
Responses can be scaled according to air-quality conditions.
Schools, for example, may adjust outdoor activities and activate air purifiers, while employers may reduce strenuous outdoor work and provide additional protection for workers considered more vulnerable to haze.
Singapore Night Festival Could Also Be Affected
Another major event being watched closely is the Singapore Night Festival 2026, scheduled from Aug. 21 to Sept. 5.
Organiser HeritageSG said it is monitoring air-quality conditions and will use official health advisories to decide whether outdoor programmes can safely continue.
Events could potentially be adjusted, moved or cancelled if conditions deteriorate.
Ticket holders affected by programme changes would be contacted and could receive options including refunds or rescheduling where applicable.
Sentosa has also prepared measures for worsening air quality, including N95 masks for frontline employees and workplace precautions such as indoor rest periods, staff rotation and hydration breaks.
Retailers Are Preparing for Mask Demand
Authorities and businesses are also trying to avoid another feature of previous haze episodes: sudden demand for protective masks.
Major retailers have indicated that supplies are available should conditions worsen.
Watsons Singapore and FairPrice Group told CNA that they had sufficient N95 stocks, while other retailers said they were monitoring inventories and customer demand.
The preparations suggest Singapore is approaching the 2026 haze threat as a national operational issue rather than simply an environmental forecast.
The Bigger Question for Formula 1
For Formula 1, the critical issue would not necessarily be a particular PSI number alone.
Officials would have to consider several factors, including visibility around the Marina Bay Street Circuit, the health of tens of thousands of spectators and workers, and whether conditions allow the event to operate safely.
Singapore GP has therefore stopped short of announcing a predetermined threshold at which the race would automatically be cancelled.
Instead, organisers and government agencies would assess actual conditions before making a collective decision.
That flexibility could become increasingly important as the Grand Prix approaches.
Singapore’s night race is staged almost entirely outdoors, attracts a large international audience and puts drivers through an already demanding combination of heat, humidity and physical exertion.
For now, there is no indication that the Grand Prix will not proceed as planned.
But Singapore’s preparations show that officials are taking the possibility of another serious haze episode seriously.
And after the experience of 2019, the question surrounding this year’s race may increasingly become not whether Singapore is prepared for haze — but how bad the air would have to become before Formula 1 is forced to change its plans.
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