F1 Weekend: The need for speed!

Motor racing fans at the F1 Singapore Grand Prix

THE men were fast, the machines were beastly, and the music was pulsating!

With this heady mix, the F1 weekend at the 2016 Singapore Grand Prix was the kind of mayhem you would want to experience at least once in your lifetime.

For car enthusiasts and racing fans, the three-day F1 event afforded them the chance to witness up close and personal the beauty of collaboration between men and machines in action.

From September 16 to September 18, Singaporeans and those who flew in to the city-state were treated to high-octane action and high-adrenaline nights!

The decision to hold the races at nighttime was strategic as it meant that European fans get to watch the event at a convenient time, while locals also enjoy the races at a time when humidity was more bearable. The race was held at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, with the city’s “famous skyline providing a truly spectacular backdrop.”

The Singapore Grand Prix is considered as one of the toughest in the Formula One calendar. The track has 23 corners and is lit by powerful lights to approximate daylight conditions. The night race format, however, has afforded spectators to see the “flaming exhausts and disc brakes glowing at night”, as described by 2009 world champion Jenson Button.

Anticipation was high before the race began, with rivalry over the World Championship between Mercedes teammates Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg heating up. Before the Singapore Grand Prix, Englishman Hamilton was leading the race, with Rosberg in second place. After the Singapore race, Rosberg overtook Hamilton by eight points. With the win, Rosberg took his eighth win of season.

The fun and excitement at the Singapore Grand Prix did not end even after racers drove their cars to the finish line. For music fans, it was just a warm up with top acts such as Kyline Minogue, Queen + Adam Lambert, and Imagine Dragons entertaining the crowd at the Padang Stage.

If the excitement proved to be too much for you, then head down to the Marina Bay Sands and enjoy an overnight stay in one of their more luxurious suites, take a dip in its famous 150-meter Infinity Pool, or a stroll in the Observation Deck at the Sands Skypark, which offers fantastic views of the city’s skyline, part of the F1 race track, and Gardens by the Bay.