IF THE lead-up to last year's inaugural Formula One race here seemed to be perfectly scripted, the same could  not be said about this year's event.

What could have been a very boring 2009 Singapore Grand Prix is now shaping up to be an exciting one after recent events in the sport.

Initially, there were worries that the novelty factor of having the world's fastest cars and drivers in Singapore would have worn off.

The economic downturn did not help matters, with companies cutting back on spending on high-end corporate hospitality suites, one of the biggest contributors to ticket sales.

But the possible return of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, for starters, has got fans salivating.

Several are already relishing the prospect of the German going head-to-head with reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton, who got into F1 after Schumacher retired after the 2006 season.

The duo are very aggressive drivers and have no qualms taking risks when it comes to overtaking, making it all the more thrilling for spectators if they do race wheel-to-wheel on the narrow streets of Marina Bay.

The championship battle is also shaping up to be an interesting one.

After the dominance of Brawn GP early this season when it looked like it could sew up the title even before the F1 circus arrived here, results in the past few races have suggested otherwise.

There are seven races left on the 17-stop calendar, with the Singapore race on Sept 27 the 14th leg.

But Brawns' difficulty in getting their tyres to hit peak temperatures of about 60 degrees - it is thought that recent aerodynamic upgrades have contributed to the problem - have seen them lose speed.

In contrast, the Red Bull machines have benefitted from aerodynamic upgrades like a new front wing, and caught up with the once-ultra fast Brawns.

Red Bull's Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel notched up consecutive 1-2 finishes in Rounds 8 and 9 of the F1 season in Britain and Germany, with Hamilton winning the last race in Hungary.

McLaren, after a disastrous start to the season, seem to be picking up the pace. Ferrari, whose driver Kimi Raikkonen finished second in Hungary, are also on a resurgence.

The return of these two top teams who have plenty of supporters here, coupled with the title fight between Brawn and Red Bull, are just the ingredients Singapore needed.