Ear Plugs not Included

So we went to the Grand Prix. Well, actually we got tickets to the practice night on the Friday before the Grand Prix. They were given to us and that was awesome; we got to see the action up close and feel the vibe of the event the City had prepared for since we arrived.

Preparations for the big race two days later. (Bottom left: apparently napping is part of it.)

The Marina Bay circuit is in the heart of the city, and since it’s a night race it needs a lot of lights. Really, a lot of lights! It looked as if the sun was shining. Amazing!  If you’re a fan you already know that this is one of the ‘slowest’ circuits. The average speed is around 172 km/h and they take corners at around 105 km/h. This is still really, really fast, especially when you are that close to the action. And the noise… the noise is incredible, like some gigantic super bee-hive with really angry bees.

That’s right folks, we are in the middle of the action. Trouble is they go soooo fast, it is tough to photograph. But we were there and that’s what counts!

For me the best thing about this racing experience was the entertainment. There were several podiums with stuff going on. Unfortunately Rihanna and the Killers were booked for other nights. But that was OK, because we spent some time on the Singapore Flyer (the highest Ferris Wheel in the world for now). It is super-close to the Pit street and we thought you might get a better overview of what happens on the circuit. Even though that wasn’t really true, it offered amazing views over Singapore at night.

Lit-up circuit (mostly around the Pit street) from the Singapore Flyer. Not terribly clear, but you can see how brightly lit it is.

Stunning views over Singapore by night.

So there you have it. If you want to sniff the atmosphere and the exhaust fumes in 2014, I suggest you buy your tickets now as they are as cheap as they’ll ever be! Oh, and you might want to start saving for the event, because a simple beer/wine is somewhere between S$ 10-20 a ‘glass’. Also they tell me that hotels are more expensive during the Grand Prix. FYI: hotel rooms with a view over the circuit cost anywhere between 15.000-30.000 a night.

But think about what great party locations they make!