Singapore’s air quality worsened on Saturday, October 10, 2026, as thick haze from Indonesian forest and agricultural fires enveloped the city-state during the preparations for the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix.
It has triggered concerns over the toxic plume impacting residents and tourists along with outdoor activities planned around the racing event.
The fire in Sumatra and Kalimantan fuels cross-border haziness.
Singapore’s National Environment Agency (NEA) detected signs of burning across Kalimantan and Sumatra, with new fires appearing in southern Southeast Asia.
Moderate transboundary haze was observed over parts of Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Kalimantan, Sarawak, and southern Sumatra.
On Friday, the agency warned that the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) of Singapore might surpass 200 indicating the entry into the ‘very unhealthful’ category due to smoke being blown from certain parts of southern Sumatra and Kalimantan.
The haze has lowered visibility levels across Singapore making landmarks such as Marina Bay Sands and the surrounding high-rise buildings unclear because of the dirty air.
Will the haze affect the Singapore Grand Prix?
The arrival of the hazardous pollution coincided with the preparations for other important events to take place in Singapore including some international conferences and the Formula 1 Grand Prix.
Despite the fact that outdoor entertainment events might have to be canceled because of it, the organizers of the event insisted that the race would not be affected.
As the Singapore GP organizers informed CNN, there were no immediate plans to change the entertainment schedule for the event altogether. The scheduled stars included Janet Jackson and The Killers.
However, the Singapore Tourism Board said that there is a contingency plan to deal with the haze depending on its severity.
Singapore has faced similar air quality challenges during its previous night races. The Grand Prix held in both 2015 and 2019 had also witnessed haze, but the race went on as planned.
F1 Drivers Speak Out About the Haze
The Cadillac driver from Finland, Valtteri Bottas, who cycled over 400 kilometers from Malaysia to Singapore, downplayed the situation.
He pointed out that while the air quality was indeed bad, he did not feel that the severity of the situation was at an extreme level.
As Singapore was busy getting ready for the Grand Prix, the haze posed challenges for outdoor events and ultimately for citizens’ health. The issue also raised a recurring concern about environmental issues in the form of Indonesian forest and land fires that produce a lot of smoke.
