How did I end up at a Grand Prix when I’ve only watched the race on TV a handful of times? Simple: My husband is a motorsport fanatic. I am still convinced that his idea of going to Bali and then Singapore, which just happened to have coincided with F1 weekend was not a coincidence! However, I am not complaining as this was definitely one of the highlights of the entire trip and an experience I would never forget!

The Singapore Grand Prix is one of the most popular sporting events in the world attracting hundred’s of thousands of tourists each year. It is a motor racing competition and part of the Formula One World Championship. What makes the Singapore Grand Prix very different to the others is that it was the first-ever street circuit for F1 which takes place on the Marina Bay Street Circuit. The race also takes place in the dark under the lights of the city, which is very cool!

The Friday is the practice session, the Saturday is the qualifying and then Sunday is the big race. The track length is 5.063km, compromising of 23 turns in which the drivers do a total of 61 laps.

Tickets

Going to a Formula One race is not a cheap activity and it is certainly not something an average backpacker would do. However, if you buy them in advance, there are actually some pretty well-priced tickets. I think my decision was also swung by the fact that Greenday was playing there too and this was included in the price of the ticket! With our tickets, we had access to zones 3 and 4 but not zones 1 and 2. Zone 4 was where the main stage and food stall were – that was enough for me! Our Bay Grandstand tickets costs £158 each and we bought them in June, 3.5 months prior to the race – there were only a few tickets left at the time. By the end of the race, we definitely felt like the price of our tickets were worth every penny.

Even though you buy them in advance and you get a confirmation email that you paid, F1 don’t actually issue the e-tickets until 1 or 2 weeks prior to the event. This means you don’t actually know your exact seat number until then. When you get your e-tickets, you must print them off and show it at the gate along with a valid ID.

We were sitting in the Bay Grandstand which had the most amazing views of the city skyline and of Marina Bay Sands Hotel.

The Race

One thing to note is that you can’t bring any drinks inside – we ordered two large Frappuccino from a store just before the race was going to start but then they wouldn’t let us in so we had to down it during the security checks. Also make sure you grab some food drinks from zone 4 before the race so that you are ready! Also, try not to use the portable loos – they were… unpleasant.  

I loved everything about it – from the pre-race entertainment to the crowd’s liveliness and the city skyline’s glistening view. As soon as people eagerly got to their seats, it started chucking it down with rain. It meant that we all had to leave our seats and take shelter. When I say it was chucking it down with rain, THIS is what I mean…

We were genuinely worried that they were going to postpone the race, which would have been heart-breaking but after an hour and a bit, the rain stopped and we were able to go back to our seats as if nothing happened. Khaled said that the wet racetrack makes it even more slippery and challenging for the racers.

Once the race did eventually start – It was exciting watching the race unfold in front of our eyes. Everyone around us was passionately chanting their drivers name and I just loved how their enthusiasm and passion for the race. Sebastian Vettel entered as the defending race winner, Perez won and Hamilton came 9^th. It was an exciting race.

End of the race

As soon as we knew the results, the Mexican couple that we sat next and who were kindly explaining the rules of the race to me throughout the night dashed off to watch the players receive their trophies. We didn’t really know whether we should stay put or join them. We stayed put so that we could watch the fireworks. As soon as the race finished, fireworks went off right in front of our eyes, lighting up the sky. It really was spectacular!

We then walked on the race tracks and headed to Pedang Stage to watch Greenday perform. Because of the rain, it was MUDDY. I realised that wearing a cute white minidress as if I was going to the Ascots was perhaps not the best decision I’ve ever made. The field was sectioned off and we ended up in the back half with a massive screen in front of us. We weren’t bothered about getting closer as I had a pretty good view. We had a little boogie and recognised a few songs before calling it a night…

By the time we got to the MRT, the last train had just departed, so we teamed up with another person in the train station and took an uber to our hostel. We didn’t get back until 2am. It was the best day and I am SO glad that we went. I never thought I would say this, but we are now keen on going to all of the other F1 races as the experience of watching it live is completely different than watching it on TV. The non-stop action, lively entertainment, the electric atmosphere and the excitement of the crowds makes it an unforgettable racing event!

Other events during the weekend

Even though we only had tickets for race day, there were still other pop-up events going on throughout the city, to the day leading up to the race day. We didn’t go to any parties, club etc (more due to lack of planning rather than anything else) but we did go to Orchard Road and Clarke Quay.

F1 pop-up on Orchard Road

Walk past Madarin Gallery and you will notice Auchentoshan’s pop-up bar right at the heart of Orchard Road. There were a few merchandise stores where you can buy official F1 merchandise – Khaled bought a Lewis Hamilton cap. There were quite a few interactive activities that you could do for a chance to win exciting prizes.

There was also a life-sized LEGO McLaren Formula 1 car, made up of 288,000 Lego bricks and apparently took 1893 hours to assemble. Yep.

Inside ION mall, you could take part in a full-motion simulator racing experience and drive 3 laps of a circuit. Khaled had a lot of fun doing this and we got talking to a lovely British couple in the queue.

The day before the main race, we went over to Clarke Quay and found a sports bar by the river where we watched the qualifying race on the big screen – it was a really nice atmosphere.

After the race, we went for a little walk and there were pop-ups everywhere with local and international acts performing which was so much fun! I would definitely recommend doing a bit of research prior to the race weekend and seeing what other events are on at the time!