Singapore's proposed permanent race track is a good idea but not necessary, Formula One racing legend Jackie Stewart said yesterday.

A permanent track would be good because motorsports infrastructure could be built up around it, he said. For example, driver education and industry product launches could be tied to it.

'But I don't think that's a necessity,' he said. 'I think there is a charm, and a rarity, in having a street race.' Monaco is now the only major venue where F1 street races are held.

'You've got to have a little variety,' Mr Stewart told reporters yesterday after his visit to the Dyslexia Centre of the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS).

On Singapore's F1 bid, he said: 'Singapore, I think, would be a good home for Formula One racing.' Singapore has a 'very, very well-developed infrastructure'.

Singapore would not only be a good host, it would 'gain handsomely' as well, Mr Stewart said, citing the large television audience for F1 races and the influx of tourists that F1 races attract.

'An excuse to come to Singapore would be the Grand Prix,' he said. The resulting tourist expenditure would benefit sectors such as hotels, and food and beverage.

Mr Stewart was diagnosed with dyslexia - a reading disability caused by a defect in the way the brain processes graphic symbols - at the age of 41. Dyslexia affects up to 10 per cent of people. And Mr Stewart commended Singapore for the way it handles the problem.

'You could lead the world in this,' he told DAS management. He also gave a speech to parents and students at the centre. His visit to Singapore was made possible by the Royal Bank of Scotland.