A group of 10 religious leaders have blessed the Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix race week to be held in Singapore from Sept. 16 to 18 and prayed for the safety of the drivers.

This annual ritual was carried out on Sept. 5 and has been a regular feature since the inaugural race began in 2008.

Organisers of the F1 Singapore Grand Prix said on Wednesday, Aug. 31 that the night race will take place as scheduled.

This was after Singapore continues to grapple with a rising number of both Zika virus cases and countries around the world advising against pregnant women from travelling to the Republic.

Preparations for the race “are on track and proceeding as per normal”, a Singapore GP spokesperson said.

Reactions to the blessing have been positive:

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