Before I started writing on the Singapore F1 GP Friday Night Practice, I would like to thank all my readers and supporters first. This is my 300th post !
Back to Friday 26th September 2008, the 1st day of the Singapore F1 GP event, a great carnival that I was looking foward to. Met Jack and walked towards the Marina Square Shopping Centre via Suntec City and entered from Gate 7, around 3pm. Everything was wonderful, even at that time, there were already a good crowd starting to stroll inside.
There were support races to grace the Singapore F1 GP event, by Formula BMW, Porsche and Aston Martin in the afternoon from 3pm to 6pm, and the crowds were given some great practice driving sessions and how potentially loud the sound of the powerful engines would be. The weather on Friday was good, sunny and humid without the rain and thunderstorms.
Met Michelle, fellow UQAAS Committee member, walked around the various locations of the race circuit. From the One Fullerton at Turn 13, we walked towards opposite Victoria Concert Hall at Turn 11, had to walk a longer distance due to diversion. Along the way, did a bit of shopping and sightseeing at the merchandise store, that's the F1 carnival for you !
After watching the support races, we walked back to the Padang and saw something Uniquely Singapore, tables and chairs on the road, with food stalls beside it. You don't get much opportunities to have such open air dining in Singapore anymore ! We sat down, bought our drinks and dinner, prices are a bit steep though, had a nice cold beer with compliments from Jack, chatted and shared about cars !
After dinner, we all proceed to our grandstand seats, Jack & mine at Marina Square. The F1 Practice session had begun ! The sounds and roars of the F1 engines were really deafening and we forgot our ear plugs. Due to the driving lines of the F1 cars, our seats views were blocked as the F1 cars were driving very close to the edge of the safety barrier in front of the Marina Square Grandstand, as they need to do a right angle 90 degrees at Turn 16, driving into Esplande Waterfront and Bay Grandstand.
After enjoying the deafening sounds, watching how the F1 cars were driving, I was convinced that the Singapore F1 GP circuit is fabulous ! The F1 drivers who had doubts initially, doesn't seem to show it as they were driving pretty good in a totally unknown circuit in night conditions !
After the 1st practice session, we decided to walk around the circuit again, revisiting the locations that we went earlier today in the afternoon and captured different views of the F1 cars in action. It was a very big test of my photography skills till date, night shooting conditions under ample lighting conditions, very fast flying F1 cars, wire fence barriers that makes it very difficult for photographers to shoot.
Soon after, it was time to call it a day. The F1 cars went back for rest and analysis, while we made our way home to rest from a long day of fun and cars.
Do check out some of my Friday Practice photos here !
