Singapore gamblers have shrugged off news that last year's Formula One race in the city-state was fixed and say it won't stop them placing bets on this weekend's nighttime grand prix.
Renault were handed a suspended permanent ban from Formula One yesterday after the sport's governing body said they had fixed last year's Singapore Grand Prix by ordering Nelson Piquet to crash, helping his team mate Fernando Alonso win.
Betting started yesterday for this weekend's race and there was little sign the scandal had affected gamblers.
Punters in Chinatown, home to streets of opium-filled gambling dens in the 19th century but now more geared to tourists, say they'll still place bets on the race.
Gambling is popular in Singapore, with a population of mostly ethnic Chinese, though most punters bet on English soccer or have a go on the national lottery.
Some gamblers say fixing was a part of many sports and that the prospect of winning big was too much of a temptation.
