Unreleased seats at the Singapore Flyer
Regardless if you’re a Formula 1 fan, the constant news coverage and updates on the inaugural 2008 FORMULA 1 TM SingTel Singapore Grand Prix must have lured you into a quiet anticipation gradually building up to the big day.
On September 26 - 28, Singapore will play host to the 15 th of the 18-leg race calendar. Not only is it set to be the first ever night race (Hooray for die-hard European fans rooted to the TV set!), Singapore’s street circuit of public roads in Marina Bay will also be Asia’s first F1 street race.
Watch cars reach speeds up to 300km/h |
|
Positioned as the Monaco of the East, there is a big difference between Singapore and Monaco’s GP, which is also a street circuit. Singapore’s tracks are much wider and faster, with its narrowest areas equivalent to Monaco’s widest parts.
To ensure the safety of drivers, marshals, and spectators during the night race, state-of-the-art lighting which are four times brighter than those at sports stadiums would be installed along the 5.067km track, with the help of 108,423m of power cables. |
For those who are still procrastinating over which seats your limited budget allows you to purchase, don’t worry as every ticket ensures maximum F1 pleasure. Even if you’re not seated on the grandstands as the cars weave and zoom round the city circuit over an estimated 61 laps, getting to know the best spots along the circuit might just guarantee you close up views of the best action.
 |
Singapore’s street circuit includes 24 turns |
Top action spots
- Pit Grandstand (Grandstand seats at $1388)|
Get unrivalled views of the race’s start off point, and see right into the Pit Lane. With the help of binoculars, you can get close up views as the teams work on the cars making pit stops in the garages.
- Turn 1 (Turns 1 Grandstands seats at $1388)
Watch the cars hit the brakes as they reduce from speeds over 280km/h to about 130km/h as they prepare for the first overtaking opportunity at turn 1.
- Turn 7 (Stamford Grandstands seats at $998, within Walkabout Ticket region)
One of the best overtaking opportunity and a definite challenge for drivers is at turn 7, when cars turn out of Raffles Boulevard into Nicoll Highway, where the cars would brake from 300km/h to 110km/h. After exiting turn 7, watch the brief acceleration before taking the 2 nd gear right-hander into Stamford Road at turn 8.
- Turn 15 (Raffles Grandstand seats at $698, within Walkabout Ticket region)
There may not be access to the giant viewing screens at this point, but spectators at certain seats will be able to catch double the action as the cars pass the Esplanade and make for turn 15, where they will exit Esplanade Drive and head into Raffles Avenue.
- Padang (Padang and City Hall Grandstand seats at $498, prices for Esplanade Steps Premier Grandstand seats t.b.a., within Walkabout Ticket region)
Tickets along the fastest stretch of the circuit along Raffles Boulevard may have not been released, but the Padang and Esplanade stretch along St. Andrew’s Road and Esplanade Drive respectively promises speeds of 250-300km/h.
 |
Witness the teams attend to the cars at the Pit Grandstand |
The Northern Loop ( Paddock, Pit Building, Pit Grandstand, turn 1, 2, and 3 ) may be restricted to ticket holders within the area, but all other ticket holders have the freedom to roam the other 70% of the race area (including the Singapore Flyer premises). Good news for the not-so-hardcore F1 fans and curious citizens of Singapore, single day passes will also be released at a later date, so keep up with the news on Singapore Grand Prix’s website, www.Singaporegp.com
Nearby Accommodation (Yes, even if you’re a local)
The hotel cluster (The Ritz-Carlton Millenia, The Oriental, Marina Mandarin, The Fullerton, Swissotel the Stamford and The Pan Pacific) in the middle of the circuit may have already been snapped up by corporate bookings, but as prices during the 3-day Singapore Grand Prix also skyrocket to jaw dropping rates, it’s time to look beyond.
 Set to be the first night race in F1 history |
|
Just one MRT station away from the race venue, Bugis and Arab Street houses plenty of cheap accommodation for backpackers, or basically, anyone who needs a bed for the night. Even if you’re in time to catch the train back to the hotel after the race, heading back by foot is the recommended mode of transportation.
Sleepy Sam’s, The New 7th Storey Hotel, and Bugis Backpackers are some of well known the lodging places around the Bugis area.
Stroll among historic sites and colonial buildings alongside grand office buildings of the Central Business District on your way back, and admire the beautiful contrast of old and new sites sitting side by side at the Marina Bay area. |
If the adrenaline rush in you still has not died down after the race, keep it up by making a detour to Boat Quay, which is also in the vicinity, and continue basking in the F1 fever with the after-race crowd guaranteed to turn up at the numerous bars along the Singapore River.
With 80,000 spectators expected to turn up over the 3-day race, monster traffic jams are bound to cram up the nearby roads. We suggest you leave your automobiles (and possible high stress levels when stuck in a jam for hours) at home and opt for a long night out at the bars before conveniently hailing a cab to head home.
The Wait Shortens
With less than six months to go, Singapore makes the wait less tiresome with F1-related events popping up from time to time.
Previous F1 World ChampionMika Hakkinen dropped by Padang recently, putting up a grand show by hitting 180km/h on the McLaren Mercedes MP4-22 along St Andrew’s Road. Also to celebrate Mumm Champagne’s launch as the F1 victory champagne, a bubbly launching party was held at Zouk.
Expect more exciting parties and events heating up Singapore’s roads as we countdown to September 28!
|
|
