F1 race the last thing HK needs

There is no doubt that Formula One motor racing has a legion of fans in Hong Kong. A staggering 43,000 people showed up last weekend to see a lone car handled by up-and-coming Spanish driver Jaime Alguersuari roar back and forth along a 600-metre stretch of harbourside road in Central. The spectacle and excitement were such that, even as the billowing exhaust fumes and ear-splitting noise were dissipating, a chorus of supporters were wondering why our city should not host an annual grand prix event, just like Shanghai and Singapore. Staging it would not be cheap, but there would be a host of rewarding benefits, they argued.

Joining the Formula One grand prix race calendar would be more cost-effective than hosting a major athletics carnival. While the government's failed bid to stage the 2023 Asian Games would have set Hong Kong back at least HK$6 billion plus tens of billions more to construct sporting venues, an F1 event through city streets is likely to come in at a fraction of that. For the outlay, there would be the prestige, tourism spin-offs and the international public relations bonanza of the race being staged against the backdrop of our famed skyline. Advocates contend it would be an unbeatable winning formula.

Each F1 race is seen by an average of 160 million global viewers, a proven lure for tourists. They will be eagerly awaiting today's European Grand Prix. The marketing firm AC Nielsen estimated that when Shanghai hosted its first race in 2004, 6.3 billion yuan (HK$7.53 billion) in benefits were generated for the advertising, catering, hotel, retail, property and tourism sectors. Such figures convinced Singapore to put in a bid, and it got the drop on competitors by staging the world's first night F1 grand prix in 2008 and the only one in Asia on a street circuit. Firm government support has ensured it remains a popular event on the annual racing calendar.

But hosting F1 races are not a win-win situation for all involved. On a street circuit, there is major traffic disruption. Roads involved have to be permanently closed for between four days and a week and periodically for weeks before and after the race. Businesses along the track suffer. But most of all, there is the pollution.

It is precisely because of the latter reason that the government would be right to resist calls for our city to host a grand prix. Hong Kong has serious air pollution, especially at the roadside level. Kilometre by kilometre, our roads are the most congested in the world. We have to be discouraging car use and getting polluting vehicles off our streets. Staging an event that burns holes in our carbon footprint, rewards fast driving and leaves clouds of choking petrol fumes hanging above our city sends entirely the wrong message. We should host major sporting events, but only environmentally responsible ones.