Singapore's prospects sounded stronger still last week when the chairman of Malaysia's Sepang circuit, only an hour by plane from Singapore, said on a visit to Britain that there was no guarantee his country would seek to extend the contract beyond 2010 because of the cost.

However Malaysian newspapers later quoted Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi dismissing those doubts.

Malaysia, a major sponsor of the BMW-Sauber team who launched in Valencia on Tuesday, has been given March and October dates in the past and it could be that there is room for both south-east Asian neighbours in a future set to include South Korea also from 2010.

India hopes to have F1 cars roaring past the president's palace and parliament before that.

Flamboyant brewing billionaire Vijay Mallya declared at the Toyota launch, where his Kingfisher Airlines was announced as a prominent new sponsor, that he was hopeful a Delhi street race could become reality in 2009.

"Mr Ecclestone is a great personal friend of mine and has been for many years," said the bejewelled entrepreneur. "He is very, very keen about bringing Formula One to India.

"He is willing to make every possible concession from his end to see Formula One in India. He has expressed that to me many times.

"I think he will bend over backwards to realise a Formula One race in India because he recognises the growing importance of India," said Mallya.

With support like that, anything is possible in the world of Formula One.

1

2