F1 Singapore Grand Prix is all about experiencing a unique and premier night racing destination that Singapore as a country has to offer! Our participation in this F1 racing as media personnel and front row witnesses was a dream come true and it is indeed every F1 lover and fan’s “struck gold moment”. The last F1 season was held in Singapore during September 2019 on the real streets of the famous “Marina Bay Street Circuit” which has over 61 laps of the 5.063-kilometre street stretch. This time around they had combined adrenaline-pumping sports activities for every F1 fan to participate in along with street parties, racing action and live performances of singers from around the globe. For Salman and me this was literally our heaven, a wonderland that only two die-hard fans of F1 will know and to cover it officially for the Singapore Tourism Board was a sheer honour. After all, the universe conspires to give you what you truly work hard towards, doesn’t it? These are indeed blessings in disguise and we are truly humbled with every milestone this life helps us achieve. So on that positive note, let’s begin our first ever F1 Singapore Grand Prix experience!!
The revving of supercars, the thrill in the air, race-themed cuisines experiential, special gaming zones, off-track activities were all a great way to build up to the main racing event that went down in FORMULA 1 history!! I have always said that Singapore knows how to build experiences for it’s guests and travelers, especially when it comes to their spectacular night racing and they follow it up with such top-class arrangements that truly make this destination an iconic one. Singapore’s skyline is completely lit once the sun goes down as it gears up to kick-start F1 Singapore Grand Prix night racing which by the way has garnered the 2nd highest turnout since they first started racing in Singapore with a whopping 2,68,000 spectators at the Marina Bay Circuit divided over three days of non-stop racing action.
So these are the TOP 10 Highlights that every Formula 1 lover needs to watch out for while being a part of the F1 Singapore Grand Prix Night Racing:
Design Orchard – Design Orchard is a boutique shopping destination right on bustling Orchard Street. This is an initiative by the Singapore Tourism Board and it provides a great platform through their boutique for individual entrepreneurs or local businesses to showcase their talent and sell their hand made goods under one roof. We were so impressed to see the variety of goods produced and kept for sale right from gifting items, clothes, face creams, perfumes, home décor, bedding, teas and coffees and so much more.
This is a great way of supporting talented homegrown brands that are known to the world now thanks to the shoppers who drop by here. Plus, once you’re done shopping here, you can step out to explore the 2.2. km of street shopping on the famous Orchard Street as this happens to be Singapore’s most famous shopping capital.
Race To Singapore – This was such a one of a kind experience in sync with the F1 racing. Singapore hosted the world-renowned “McLaren Shadow Project’s” first-ever Asia-Pacific Live qualifying event where the winner of the event got an opportunity to head to the McLaren Shadow’s Finale. The top 8 gamers and contestants were flown to Singapore to be a part of the live qualifying event called “Race To Singapore” which also was the official video-game of the 2019 FIA Formula 1 World Championship.
What made it even more interesting was the participation of the Formula 1 Racer “Lando Norris” who himself participated in a few rounds and motivated the kids. The winner took home a spot on the McLaren Shadow esports team, customized sim-racing prizes, access to the McLaren DNA driver development programme and a chance to travel to the UK to compete against the world-class McLaren Shadow Project Grand Finals.
F1 Pit Walk – I was literally pinching myself in sheer disbelief when it actually happened!! Not only were Salman and I a part of the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix 2019, but we also got to be a part of it’s pit walk experience. Yippieeee!!!! We got an up-close and first hand “lane” experience through this.
Initially, this used to be accessible to only F1 Paddock Club Ticket holders over the race weekend but now from the last season, so many enthusiastic F1 fans got to be a part of this coveted experience one day before the main event. We also got an up-close view of all the crew live in action giving final finishing touches to their F1 cars in their respective garages. The crew in action, buzzing Marina Bay Street Circuit, live performances and a picture sitting on the racing track, these are just a few highlights to let you know what goes down during the F1 Pit Walk experience during the pre-race day! This truly felt like a DREAM come true!!!
Live Performances – F1 Singapore Grand Prix is one destination where gasoline and glamour combine with so much ease!!! The visitors were treated to some jaw-droppingly awesome and such memorable LIVE performances by world-famous artists like – Gwen Stefani, Fatboy Slim, Swedish House Mafia and my personal favourite “Red Hot Chilli Peppers”.
I also danced the night away hours before the finale to the tunes of our very own international desi queen – She performed with so much grace on numbers that spoke to my soul such as “KARMA”. What made our night even more special and memorable was the fact that she and her entire team agreed for a last-minute interview and fun chat backstage minutes after her performance.
It’s true, “Humbleness” goes a long way and both Salman and I came out even more in love and in awe of her than ever before. May her fierceness and realness forever rule the world!!! This is what makes an artist special – the earnest and honesty that Rajakumari brings along with her is 100% REAL!
Festival Of Speed – Festival Of Speed took the F1 fever in Singapore one notch higher as they converted a huge parking lot into a “Go-Karting” track just for the F1 racing days. They also had a separate area dedicated to “Sim-Racing”. It was interesting to see how quickly I got the hang of Sim-Racing and soon I had to be dragged out of my chair by Salman. Yes, it’s that addictive and immersive.
Plus, the racing track that was a part of the game was created identical to the real Marina Bay Street Circuit for the F1 Singapore Grand Prix racing along with similar temperature settings to give a real-time effect to the gamers.
Indoor Sky Diving – If you ever dreamt of flying, then here’s your chance to literally experience the thrill of sky-diving from an indoor set-up managed by iFly Singapore on Sentosa Island. This happened to be my first ever free-falling experience that too at an iconic and World’s largest themed wind tunnel for indoor skydiving. Fun Fact – The team of “Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara” was trained for all their sky-diving sequences in this very place. iFly Singapore ensures you are a part of their safety briefing first and everyone has to undergo a training process before you get into the wind tunnel. The important thing to remember here is to focus on your posture and to get that correct which in turn helps you to float easily.
This is the only indoor wind tunnel that has an 18 feet tall acrylic glass wall along with a width of 16.5 ft and 56.5 ft height. As you fly all the way to the top, you’ll be treating yourself to some mesmerizing view of the South China Sea and Siloso Beach. This experience went so well with the thrill of the F1 racing, action of speed. FYI – The wind beneath you, inside the tunnel, is equal to the speed of a hurricane, so those of you who have heart conditions or back/spine issues remember to inform the team, as health comes FIRST, ALWAYS!!! Happy Diving!!!!
While you are there, I highly recommend checking out the Sky Luuge track located near the Indoor Sky Diving Centre. Those who are not familiar, Luuge is a fun activity where you sit in a motorless cart and go downhill on a track using gravity and you can control the speed using a brake system.
Practice Race – The practice race day is held one day before the main racing event and we witnessed this spectacular event from the famous VIP “Singapore Sky Suite”.
This Sky Lounge has an outdoor seating area with the best vantage viewing points along with live performances, Live local food counters and a sit-down dinner with media personnel invited from across the globe that share a common passion for Formula 1 racing like us.
We also got an opportunity to interact with the President and Sports Minister of Singapore Tourism Board and we were so excited to learn about all the adrenaline-pumping activities that were going to be a part of the action-packed weekend in sync with the world-renowned sports event.
Gardens By The Bay – Imagine exploring a massive tropical garden spread across 250 acres. I personally feel like this totally celebrates Singapore’s cultural diversity in such a unique way. You can easily spend an entire day here and catch a beautiful light show under the Super-trees before you head back to the races. It is such an audio-visual delight.
“Super-Trees” are 82-164 feet tall and these trees are known to perform a multitude of functions. Apart from shading and housing exotic vines and orchids, they are also known to work as environmental engines for the gardens.
They have placed solar power panels on top of these trees which in turn provides clean energy on which the entire park runs. The entire environment-friendly approach towards the Gardens By The Bay planning of Singapore is truly commendable.
GPSS Debut Precinct Parties – When it comes to F1 Singapore Grand Prix, be prepared to take the action far beyond and off the street circuits with 10 days of non-stop celebration and fun. Their race-themed pop-up events where one can also buy official F1 merchandise by the way and the after-parties that are always the talk of the town since the racers themselves drop by here, you sure get a slice of the famous Singaporean nightlife just the way you should.
For this Season of F1, GPSS for the first time introduced precinct parties that gives you an option to hop skip street parties and dance the night away at Singapore’s most famous party destinations like – Clarke Quay, Orchard Road Parties, Jewel Changi and Kampong Gelam! World-famous and local DJ’s spin for you while you soak up the F1 fever.
Main Racing Event – How do I best describe the day??? I’m literally speechless and I can still hear those supercars engines revving as they whizzed past me. The FINAL RACE DAY of F1 Singapore Grand Prix 2019 saw some real edge of the seat, nail-biting action as the World’s best racers competed on the Marina Bay Street Circuits in Singapore! The Grand Stands are again my favourite spots as the ultimate viewing points while being right in the middle of all the live racing scene.
Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc secured the first and second spots for Team Ferrari which was clearly on FIRE this season and Max Verstappen from Team Red Bull who raced for Honda bagged the third position. This Season what made it even more special and memorable was the fact that GPSS allowed the visitors to step into the shoes of a real Formula 1 race car mechanic, as a part of the Red Bull Pit Stop Challenge!!
This season was LIT, PERFECT, POWER PACKED and it had all the right elements of the World Class racing combined with specially crafted Singaporean experiences that keep you in awe with every activity or event. Singapore you know you were always special to both Salman and me but now thanks to GPSS, we are fans for life!!!! The next F1 Season is scheduled to be held in Singapore in September 2020 again as of now. Mentioning the link below for you guys to check it out – https://tickets.singaporegp.sg/en/tickets/listing/all/
See you in the next Season of F1 Singapore Grand Prix my Sassy Fam!!!
