LIFESTYLE

Glamour, glitz and….timing

The 800th Formula One World Championship Race had all the hallmarks of a monumental race -- a race that went beyond the flowing champagne, beautiful people and roaring engines. Having attended several Formula One races before, I was not expecting to be blown away. I was not. I was awe-struck. This was Singapore at its best. It is official - Singapore must have some sort of worldwide monopoly over organisational perfection. This made the race a success, more so than the spectacular skyline and the 'first-ever' status.

Much has been written about the night street circuit and the challenge it posed the drivers and indeed the excitement on offer for the spectators. But behind the scenes, there were many long hours and countless meetings amongst the multiple government ministries and agencies and private enterprise to ensure it all went like clockwork. From being someone who complained about the road detours, traffic delays and other disruptive impacts of a street race, I had become a convert by the end of the weekend. Only after the race weekend could I truly appreciate the magnitude of the effort, organisational skill and money that had gone into producing a truly world-class event.

Some believe success in life is about timing. Singapore's grand re-initiation to the Formula One racing world could not have been better timed - to host the first ever night race at the tail end of what has been an exciting season where the top two Formula One drivers in the current world order were separated by a single point. It was as if the racing Gods had scripted this weekend! After teasing the race drivers with two glorious days of hot and humid weather, the heavens threatened to open up on race day. In any event, we did not need the rain to make it one of the most exciting races of the season.

Felipe Massa made a perfect start to the race. With Scuderia Ferrari's speed the entire weekend, most of us could have been forgiven for thinking it was another 10 championship points in the bag for Massa. In addition, with the track being as narrow as it was there was never going to be proper overtaking opportunities in spite of all those 25 turns. Indeed, if not for those couple of crashes that forced the safety cars out on two separate occasions, there would have been a runaway race leader. But this was not the case. No one expected one of the best pit crews to commit a basic error with the fuel hose. No one expected a cluster of drive-through and time penalties to be awarded against seasoned race drivers. And certainly no one expected a car placed 15th on the starting grid to have a driver with the fortune, skill and determination to win the race. In Spanish, Alonso means noble warrior, ready and willing to seize the opportunity. In the end, the winner of the 800th Formula One World Championship was true to his name.

Over the race weekend, I also had the opportunity to think about what this all meant for Singapore. For a corporate executive, the Singapore Formula One race may well represent an exclusive event to entertain key clients to an opulent spectator experience. For a government official with the trade and industry department or the tourism board, it may well represent a useful global marketing strategy to promote Singapore at many levels. But for all motorsports enthusiasts out there, I suspect it is hoped that the arrival of the Singapore Formula One race to our shores creates the necessary fillip to develop a motorsports culture - a culture that goes beyond the glamour and glitz of Formula One racing; a culture that recognises the discipline and fun that the sport can bring to all levels of driving.
As new plans brew in the air, I hear a permanent race track in Singapore may be a reality by the year's end. I hear there is some outstanding talent out there who will be future Formula One racing prospect. As I hear these things I hope the time has arrived for Singapore to embrace the Singapore Formula One race beyond being just a once-a-year spectacle. But, I also know that, ultimately, the success of it all will always be about timing.

Written by Krishna Ramachandra
Photos Jumaat Sulong
Additional "Alonso Wins!" courtesy of Priya Selvam
photo

This article is in collaboration between LexisNexis:
Law Gazette and Nikon Singapore.

Photography Equipment provided by Nikon Singapore