Top grid girls revealed for 2009 Singapore Grand Prix

Singapore Telecommunications Limited (SingTel) - returning sponsor of Formula 1's inaugural night race last year - has announced that the top 21 grid girls for the 2009 Singapore Grand Prix will be revealed this Thursday.

The 16-episode 'SingTel Grid Girls on Tour' television programme on MediaCorp Channel 5 has so far seen the leading five ladies from last year's race taking viewers behind-the-scenes of other exciting race locations like Bahrain, Melbourne and Shanghai - meeting the drivers and attending exclusive parties.

The hunt for the bevy of ladies who will flag off this year's race began in April, and almost 300 girls signed up to vie for one of 43 spots on the starting grid around the Marina Bay track in the Eastern island-city state in late September. Amongst these ladies, 21 were chosen to appear on 'SingTel Grid Girls on Tour'.

Three of the new SingTel Grid Girls will be featured in each episode of the TV show from 18 June to 17 September, 2009. Hosted by Soo Kui Jien, the girls will continue where their predecessors left off, flying to race venues like Istanbul in Turkey and Silverstone in the UK.

The girls come from varied backgrounds - there's a nurse, a teacher at a childcare centre, a medical student and a flight attendant, making for an interesting mix of characters. They were selected based not only on their looks, but also their personalities and ability to host the show.

This Thursday (4 June) at 9pm on MediaCorp Channel 5, viewers will catch their first glimpse of the lovely grid girls that will be the faces of this year's race. The programme will offer an exclusive peek into the closed-door auditions and the girls' preparations for their upcoming trips. Special guests Junita Simon, Zaki and Denise Keller see the girls through a series of workshops that will teach them all they need to know when they travel to F1 host cities.

Viewers can vote for the featured SingTel Grid Girls from 9:30pm on the Thursday up unil midnight on the Sunday following the telecast of each episode. Online votes contribute five per cent of the final vote. In order to make their vote, viewers must sign up on www.singtelrace.com, and earn points by logging on and participating in the activities on the site. Two points will be deducted from their account for every vote made. Viewers who vote for the winning grid girl stand to possibly win a pair of tickets to the 2009 Singapore Grand Prix.

SingTel's award-winning website features an innovative points system that rewards surfers every time they visit the site. Fans are invited to participate in an assortment of fun-filled activities, ranging from driving the simulators and playing games to posting a photo or video and correctly predicting the race-winner in order to earn points.

They will also gain points when they register, log-in, recommend friends to the site, download content and participate in the various contests, competitions and activities.

With these points in-hand, they then visit the online SingTel Garage, but the doors to the garage only open during 'magic moments', adding an element of suspense and surprise. Lucky surfers who manage to catch these moments can subsequently use their points to redeem tickets and other exciting prizes.

One pair of tickets will be given out each week until the week of the race. There are Bay, Padang and Pit Grandstand tickets and premiums worth over $100,000 to be given out.

Last year, fans were given the chance to get to know the SingTel Grid Girls better through their blogs on www.singtelrace.com, and this year is no different. Viewers can also vote for their favourite blog every week to gain points.

The girls who emerge as the top three will win cash prizes of $20,000, $7,000 and $3,000 respectively, and the top 21 grid girls each receive an LG Crystal mobile handset.

All 43 SingTel Grid Girls will be on the track on race day, guiding the drivers to their cars and adding more than a touch of glamour to the event. The grid girls will also be at SingTel roadshows at various shopping centres.