Organizers of this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix have played down concerns about the cloud of haze hanging over the city, saying it was not expected to impact on Sunday's Formula One race.

The city-state has been blanketed by thick smog for the past week, a result of farmers in neighboring Sumatra burning forests to clear their land for agriculture.

The Pollutant Standards Index in Singapore has fluctuated well above 100, levels considered "unhealthy", for the past few days, and reached as high as 249 on Monday night, putting it in "very unhealthy" territory.

Race officials said they were monitoring the situation and planned to place first-aid stations on standby to treat any possible haze-related conditions over the weekend.

But the officials said there were no plans to change any of the scheduled events over the race weekend, including the pop concerts held each night at the Marina Bay street circuit.

"Based on the current PSI levels, there are no plans to amend the published racing and entertainment program," Singapore GP said in a statement.

The Singapore GP is the 13th race of the season and defending world champion and last year's winner Lewis Hamilton will be a strong favorite to extend his championship lead, currently 53 points, with an eighth victory of the campaign.

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