Reflections Of The 2009 Singtel Singapore Grand Prix

The 2009 Singtel Singapore Grand Prix lived up expectations with its thrills spills and of course, drama. Unfortunately for us here at Zerotohundred, we were a little too caught up to attend this year’s race but with one of the most glamourous and glitziest race in the Formula One calendar happening so close to us, it was impossible not to have someone attend it and bring us  some sort of coverage.

So it had to happen, we had to send somebody and Tom knew just the person. Wei Li was tasked with the duty of having a good time and bringing us the best of the 2009 Singtel Singapore Grand Prix. You have already seen his pictures and now, posted after the jump, is his review.

Wars Wars Wars. There are wars like the Gulf War and the War on Terror, or even wars like the Chili Crab and Chicken Rice War. But is it war out there on the racing track? Eddie Irvine certainly thinks it is when he commented on the news of Renault’s cynical race strategy at last year’s Singapore Grand Prix.

And thus the 2009 Singapore Grand Prix takes place in a bonafide warzone : the Marina Bay Circuit, the foodcourts and seafood restaurants of Singapore. Thanks Tom for sending me into a warzone, hope I can get out of Singapore without a giant crab claw stuck to my backside.

So what did you find out before the race weekend? Besides Miss Singapore World getting herself into the headlines again, we now know that Nelson Piquet, Jnr crashed his Renault with full expertise rather than the lack of it. The resulting decision of the World Motorsport Council days before the 2009 Singapore Grand Prix had sponsors pulling out of the Renault F1 Team before you can say Flavio Briatore. Never had the race mechanics worked overtime to pull off team sponsors’ logos instead of putting on vital updated parts. And for Flavio’s sake, I hope his supermodel girlfriends still answers his phone calls.

War or no war, the 2009 Singapore Grand Prix is certainly a spectacle. Sure there are the usual grumbles that there wasn’t enough overtaking, but the race organisers cannot have any say over the malaise of the sport.

What the race organizers can do, they did it amazingly well. The logistics is what you would expect from the country that has one of the most comprehensive road pricing system in the world. Getting to and out of the track is hassle free. The policeman and ushers were friendly and helpful, information were readily available and all the relevant signs were well marked. Of course, being a city circuit has it’s advantages with all the public transport system already in place being well utilized.

Off track, the city state was buzzing. Concerts, parties, and gala functions aplenty. You can feel vibes everywhere you go. Again, being a city circuit helps with people without a ticket still being to savour the sound of 18,000 rpm while having a beer at a drinking hole trackside.

Before the Formula One showpiece race, even a little history was made when local Singapore racer, Ringo Chong, managed to win the Aston Martin Cup support race and got the Singapore national anthem played for the first time at the Marina Bay Circuit.

What of the race itself? Blunder, blooper, bungle; take your pick from the 3 B’s.

B1 : what was Sebastian Vettel thinking? The race was building up nicely to a good finish with Vettel chasing down Hamilton. The drive-through penalty he got for speeding in the pitlane put a stop to all that.

B2 : what was Nico Rosberg thinking? His error in straying over the white line exiting the pitlane earned him a drive-through penalty, his second place went up in smoke.

B3, the biggest B : what was Jaime Alguersuari thinking? He obviously flinched when staring down the barrel of the lollipop, pulling the refueler to the ground when he drove off without being told to do so.

Looking back, how did the 2009 Singapore Grand Prix measure up? The race? Unremarkable, with potential key moments spoilt by blunders. The atmosphere? Electric, with stars galore in town for the F1 Rocks concerts and even the reappearance of Nicole Scherzinger in Lewis Hamilton’s pit. The chicken rice and chili crab? No contest, we know who is the winner on this one……….

Article Written by: Wei Li