FEATURE

2008 Formula 1 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix

Friday to Sunday, 26 - 28 September 2008

Marina Bay Circuit

Those were times when nights turned into days, normal weekend (and work week) priorities were temporarily bent, and everyone had only the letter ‘F’ and the number ‘1’ strung in their vocabulary! It was also those nights when the gods wore full-face helmets and hung “Temporarily Suspended” signs all over Heaven’s water taps!

After months of intense preparations, the time had finally come! Speed buffs performed the first-ever pilgrimage as they paid homage to the very first Formula 1 Night Race in Singapore. Over the course of three days, high-speed racing enthusiasts and common-folk alike patronised the Marina Bay circuit as throngs of sweaty bodies lined the street circuit, eager and excited to experience the race first-hand. The rows of lights lined the race track in perfect discipline, shone to exact luminosity of one another, clearly lending an aura to the majestic event that was about to unfold for the very first time in Singapore’s, and on a bigger perspective, in Formula 1 history!

The mood was delirious even before the race started, as spectators scrambled along the walkabout routes, finding the perfect spot to anchor themselves as they anticipate the start of the race. Switchboxes and generators were savagely mauled as spectators climbed on them for better vantage points! Every nook and cranny was not spared, and every opening around the walkabout perimeters gave a chance for anyone to make the move and ‘overtake’ the spot for a clearer view of the zooming cars.

2,100 SRC members and guests who had purchased tickets from the Club came all geared up to experience the world’s first F1 night race right in the heart of the Club! They were fortunate to be in the thick of the 300km/h action, as everyone could see the cars carving into Turns 8 and 9 of the racetrack. The Clubhouse was abuzz with excitement as members and guests did all they could to alleviate their uncontrollable excitement, unsure of what was in store for them! Their most convenient way out: let loose, revel in the party, keep the beer tap flowing and wait! 

Amidst all the cacophony that ricocheted throughout the walls of the Club, as well as from the fringe activities happening around the Clubhouse, a rude booming sound from a distance pierced the party air. Conversations stopped abruptly and then everyone knew what had happened! The race was on!

Ears plugged tightly with rubber, everyone watched in awe (from the SRC perimeters to the Beer Garden, through the windows at Barker Lounge and Billiards Room), as the first F1 car sped through Turn 8 and burnt its expensive rubber right in front of the Clubhouse! The screaming cars were so fast and so powerful that wearing the earplugs became a mere novelty to keep the eardrums from disintegrating! Members were seen multi-tasking while the race was on - from keeping their jaws from hitting the ground in amazement, while trying to mechanically handle their little digital cameras, and physically keeping a tight grip on their beer glasses! The pure assimilation of speed, sound and atmosphere became the perfect recipe as the night steadily rose to a heady crescendo!

There were many futile attempts by humble biscuit-like digital cameras or phone cameras at snapping pictures of the cars in action, and most of the time, images came out as blurs of speed! As bystanders at the fringe of the track, without the benefit of television commentary, you had to know how firstly identify the make of the car, and then the drivers by their helmets.

SRC was also proud to have Paul-Henri Cahier, the most prolific F1 photographer in the world, snap some race pictures right on our Beer Garden! Members took the chance to engage in small talk with him and he gladly obliged to some picture taking and shared tips with them. Nice man, he! Also, Beer Garden had the honour of being featured in Today’s coverage of the race as a hotspot, under the headline “Party Time At Turn 9”.

At the front porch, brisk sales saw all of our limited edition SRC F1 t-shirts sold out before the final race.

Meanwhile, the race was heating up, as the cars were busy tearing up the tarmac right in front of our eyes. We were so proud as real-time race cameras panned over the SRC Clubhouse time and again as live footage of the super-powerful cars went through Turns 8 and 9, as seen by millions of viewers all over the world!

The screaming cars tortured the eardrums 61 times over, and for the same amount of times, our hearts palpitated as fast as the pistons were working in those engines! We shall spare the race details to the newspapers for you to lap up, and as for the SRC members who did not purchase the tickets, WHERE were you when we were getting high?! As for those who had soaked it all up throughout the practice rounds, qualifying race as well as the main race, wear that ticket with insane pride and holler, “I was there!”

And the gods finally took out their helmets and rested … It rained the day after.

Sham Latiff