Vroom! Vroom! I’m ready to race

by Yeoh Siew Hoon

First, the taxi driver got lost, even when I had given him a full-coloured map of the place. He kept driving me to a car park when where I wanted to go was The Pit Building for the Formula 1 Race in Singapore.

“This building is the headquarters of Formula 1, it cannot be in a car park,” I insisted as he went round it for the second time.

“Okay, let me out, I will ask,” I said, after the third round and I was feeling decidedly giddy.

I ran to the edge of the car park, saw a group of men standing on the steps and asked, “Do you know where the Pit Building is?”
All I got were a lot of nods and bows. It was a group of Japanese businessmen obviously on a site inspection of a – car park?

Anyway, to cut a long journey short, I managed to persuade the taxi driver that the Pit Building was actually across the road from the car park and we had to drive out and around in order to get in.

So we zoomed up to the entrance and feeling like a one of those girlie groupies who hang around those rich and good-looking Formula 1 drivers, I pranced up the steps of the right Pit Building.

Yes, 10 months and S$40 million later, Singapore’s ready to show off the centerpiece of the inaugural 2008 FORMULA 1™ SingTel Singapore Grand Prix.

According to the press release, the three-storey building located along the Marina Promenade is a key piece of race infrastructure that will house important race facilities, such as the garages for the Formula One™ race teams, race control facilities, media centre, the winners’ podium, as well as the Paddock Club.

“Spanning some 350 metres, the building’s glass facade will provide for a panoramic view of the exciting race action along the Pit Straight and Pit Lane.”

I have to say its location is fantastic – its glass windows offers views of the sea, palm trees, bits of the skyline, the Singapore Flyer and, of course, the main stretch of the race track with the sorts of bends and curves (pictured left) that racing fans go ga-go over.

“This is the best spot to be at,” said our guide, pointing to the right hand corner of the VVIP suite. That’s where the most thrilling bend of the race will be, we were told. Unfortunately I won’t be there.

The Paddock Club is also where I won’t be but it’s the hugest room in the building and this is where most of the Ferrari crowd will be. It seems they have booked most of this space. It costs the public S$7,500 for a three-day pass to get in here.

We were allowed a peek into the race control room (pictured right), the nerve centre, where no one will be allowed except those with business to be. “This will be the highest security zone,” said our guide.

The press conference room has been thoroughly sound-proofed to allow 500 of the world’s sporting journalists to work in peace and broadcast their footage to the rest of the world. “As you know, Formula One is more about broadcast than the actual race,” said our guide.

Up to 92% of public tickets have been sold and nearly all the corporate boxes have been sold out, we were told. A total of 10 teams will compete in the race which starts September 28, even though the facility has been built for 13 teams.

Apparently, interest spiked after the last tightly-won race. “Whenever there is an exciting race somewhere, we always see a surge in interest,” a Singapore GP employee told me.

This being Singapore’s first Formula 1 race, no one really knows how successful it will be as a revenue-generator for the city. Hoteliers are not yet seeing the surge in bookings but they remain optimistic there will be a last-minute pick-up.

The pre- and post-periods are also soft as most corporates are tending to shy away. Restaurants in the area are worried about reduced earnings because they fear even locals will stay away from the racing crowd and watch the action on their television screens at home.

One thing’s for sure, over the five days, it will certainly make Singapore the spotlight of media attention and Formula One fans around the world.

Now if I only knew which box I will be in. Otherwise, I am either staying at home or leaving the country.

Catch Yeoh Siew Hoon every week at The Transit Cafe – www.thetransitcafe.com