QUOTE (Phil_Bishop @ Oct 7 2009, 19:10)

I'm just back from the race too and here are my thoughts.
So far I have been to races in England, Monaco, Belgium, Italy and Malaysia and I reckon the Singapore experience is up there with the best of them. I’m sure other tracks have better racing but the overall experience of Singapore is what I’m talking about.
Singapore is a great city and well worth a visit regardless of attending the GP. If you go, track down a restaurant called Samy’s Curry for lunch and be sure to order the fish head curry and wash it down with lime soda as these were excellent. (samyscurry.com)
As the circuit is located right in the heart of the city, getting there was incredibly easy and once at the circuit there were a huge number of stewards to direct us to where we wanted to go and the general signposting was also excellent. Our tickets gave us access to zones 1, 2, 3 & 4 which I think is pretty much the whole track - be careful to check when you choose yours as some only gave access to 1 or 2 zones which can be restrictive if you spend all day at the track. We took in different support races at different locations - something you may not be able to do with other ticket choices.
Our seats were: Turn 1 Grandstand, Block A5, Row : 1 (yes first row!), Seat(s): 17 & 18. These gave an excellent view of cars coming out of the main straight (or out of the pits) into turn 1, through turn 2 and into turn 3. Seeing Webber go past me backwards and into the wall was a real spectacle. Two tickets for the whole weekend cost $2,376 SGD which is about £512 each (2.3 $ to the £).
The atmosphere was special. The track may not have the historical kudos of Spa, Silverstone or Monaco but the night race aspect adds a new & different dimension. It has to be seen and heard to be believed. The noise is immense, just like Monaco, as the sound bounces back from surrounding buildings and you are right on the circuit, not separated by a huge run-off area or gravel trap.
I agree that the food was excellent, varied and reasonably priced but disagree that it is Bernie's fault that drinks were expensive at the GP. Alcoholic drinks in Singapore are expensive EVERYWHERE you go as a result of a "sin tax". Obviously there is some further mark up because you are at a major (sporting) event but this is the same the world over - you just have to deal with it. At the race a 500ml bottle of mineral water cost $5 SGD (£2.15) which is pretty fair I reckon.
After all those drinks I was pleased to find that the toilet facilities were excellent. There were plenty of portaloos, all with fans to keep it reasonably cool. The loos were cleaned regularly and the soap and loo roll were replenished throughout the day/night. Without doubt this was better than any other race I have been too.
The entertainment after the race/quali was a bonus. As a 30 something who used to enjoy clubbing in the 90’s, catching the last 20 minutes of Carl Cox's set on Saturday took me back. There was a bunch of other acts too that seemed to cater for a number of tastes. Clearly this is not a main reason to go but a nice touch none the less.
A huge plus point of Singapore is the fact that it is a major hub for visiting the rest of Asia. We visited Bali before the race and Borneo the week after and the local flights cost next to nothing. Our flights from London were also pretty reasonable and the new A380 from Singapore airlines is wicked!
I recommend the race to anyone.
Cheers,
Phil
Great post Phil.. I sat in those seats last year... This year i was on the start/finish line with KLN. It is a proper "street" circuit.. So i think they do a great job with all the animities and food stalls around the track.. (great local fresh food found at the stalls next to the esplanade theatres by the bay, waterside of the overpass just past turn 17) Having 3 stages placed around various points of the G.A area with all kind of bands playing only adds to the (night) experience!! (the Padang area is the coolist place to hang out with all the surrouding buildings lit up at night time)