Whether peering through wire fences at close quarters or gazing down from the towering skyscrapers, Singapore offers fans a distinctive perspective on F1 racing.
Some of those great sights are captured in this collection of videos shot by fans during the race weekend.
Kovalainen on fire… again
Heikki Kovalainen’s Lotus catches fire for the second year in a row, during the first practice session.
Sunset
These two videos shot from the same place show how the scenery transforms as the sun goes down during the first session. The first also shows Kovalainen’s smouldering Lotus:
Close to the action
The street track allows fans to get right up close to the cars.
View from above
Alternatively, Singapore’s skyscrapers offer a stunning view of the city and circuit:
Lotus pit stop practice
Lotus practice their pit stops:
Qualifying
This video gives an excellent impression of what it’s like to be in a city where a street race is taking place:
A close shot of the cars at speed during qualifying:
Drivers’ parade
A very close-up view of the drivers lapping the track in a collection of vintage cars:
The start
A great shot of the start from the grandstand opposite the pits:
Near the end of lap one and Vettel is already streaking away:
Safety car
The field form up behind the safety car following Michael Schumacher’s crash:
Finish – and fireworks
Fans turn their attention from the track to the sky as a huge fireworks display marks the end of the 2011 Singapore Grand Prix.
2011 Singapore Grand Prix
Image © Red Bull/Getty images
gwenouille (@gwenouille)
30th September 2011, 9:42
Heikki is behaving as if his car was on fire everyday, as part of an everybody’s healthy life !
“Ah… 2.32pm, my car should be on fire by now… Yes it is ! Alright !”
Santi
30th September 2011, 12:09
hahahaha
Fixy (@)
30th September 2011, 17:56
Ah well, what harm can a fire do ;)
MattHT (@mattht)
30th September 2011, 10:13
I like the close up one at the fence. That would have been brain-rattling at that distance :)
BasCB (@bascb)
30th September 2011, 19:22
Without earplugs a once in a lifetime experience, I guess!
SimBri (@f1addict)
1st October 2011, 14:54
I wish the TV coverage had more static cameras like that to let you appreciate the speed. It’s fairly difficult even to tell what team the cars belong to let alone which driver!
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner)
2nd October 2011, 10:29
Yep, me too. They had one at Valencia at the end of sector 3, that was good. I like how much the camera shakes!
TheScuderia (@)
30th September 2011, 10:19
I love all the amateur videos posted on the blog after the last three races. I hope you continue posting them after each Grand Prix, Keith!
TheScuderia (@)
30th September 2011, 10:23
Also, the Qualifying 2 video… Enough said!
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
30th September 2011, 10:25
Thanks! It’s all down to the quality of footage shot by the people at the track, though – can’t do it without that.
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BasCB (@bascb)
30th September 2011, 19:26
I hope all of us keep you flooded with great video material to pick from Keith, my favourite was the qualifying vid and I can really feel how a city race can make for a great buzz now.
HounslowBusGarage (@hounslowbusgarage)
30th September 2011, 14:09
Agreed. These videos are great! They really get the atmosphere of the location across. A really good addition to the site.
roberttty (@roberttty)
30th September 2011, 10:32
fantastic add ons!
keep those videos coming, guys!
MagillaGorilla (@magillagorilla)
30th September 2011, 11:05
Heikki burns up the track at least once every year now at Lotus! It’s a great tradition for him and his fans
BasCB (@bascb)
30th September 2011, 19:28
Yeah, a fan favourite, Mr Kovi BBQ!
sumedh
30th September 2011, 11:34
Singapore Grand Prix. The country might not have a F1 team. a F1 driver. No history. An uninspiring track.
But just by adding “night” into the spectacle, they have made it one of the must haves of the F1 calendar.
daykind (@)
30th September 2011, 13:16
Yeah, its beautiful, and surely one of the race weekends that everyone looks for. But I’m not sure if it’s an uninspiring track, I quite like it.
gwenouille (@gwenouille)
30th September 2011, 14:19
I couldn’t disagree more. That GP would be one of the 1st to go in my world…
Artificial beauty.
iceshiel
30th September 2011, 14:56
It is not widely known but the first Singapore Grand Prix was in 1961. Formula Libre, saloon cars and motorbikes raced for many years through Upper Thomson Road Course until the government shut it down in 1973. Parts of the old race track can still be driven on today.
My grandfather used to attend the races. It was very popular.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sVdEcGLgTk&feature=player_embedded
BasCB (@bascb)
30th September 2011, 19:32
Thanks for putting up that footage, iceshiel. I had heard/read about the earlier generation of Singapore GPs but never actually seen any footage.
Philip Renshaw
31st December 2011, 18:42
My mother cousin, Ian Barnwell, won the first ever Singapore Grand Prix in 1961 driving an Aston Martin DB3S (chassis no DB3S/106 Reg no SR34). I’m researching Ian, the race and the car for a future publication. Would welcome anybody with photographs of that race – especially of Ian in the DB3S (will reference any contributions)
Mike (@mike)
30th September 2011, 12:54
I’m really starting to love Heikki, How many drivers push their own car? It’s a great personality trait for the fans watching at the track.
soulmonkey
30th September 2011, 14:18
Fantastic feature to the web site Keith. Keep them coming…
benis (@)
30th September 2011, 15:22
I have never been a singapore f1 fan, but after seeing that video from a skyscraper, thats where I want to be next year. looking down on all that noise.
Anyone know where you can hire one of those rooms?
adaptalis (@adaptalis)
30th September 2011, 19:25
That hotel is Swissotel Stamford. As far as i know, the rates for rooms in the Marina Bay area during the F1 weekend is rocket high. Should set you back at least a fair bit upwards of 600SGD.
Part of it is due to the government tax on the room bookings during the event.
Other hotels in the vicinity are Pan Pacific, Marina Mandarin, Mandarin Oriental, Ritz Carlton and to a certain extent (near Turn13) is Fullerton Hotel. Conrad Centennial where many of the teams reside, is nearby but barely a view of the track.
f1geordie (@f1geordie)
30th September 2011, 17:09
Fantastic fireworks! From watching a few of these videos, I get the impression that people who went to see the race never want to hear a whistle ever again!
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
30th September 2011, 17:27
Yes I thought that!
adaptalis (@adaptalis)
30th September 2011, 19:29
Haha! Marshals only mode of getting attention when you have F1 cars screaming around. You can’t hear anyone else over the din and the earplugs/ear muffs all of us wear.
Even with the whistle, i couldn’t get my track marshal to take note of a massively slowed down HRT when Schumacher crashed in my sector. He was still busy sweeping the debris off racing line and only looked up at us at the last moment.
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner)
2nd October 2011, 10:31
This all just looks awesome. The fireworks are just incredible to look at. Imagine winning and having all that wonderful colour in honour of you? Too much!
damonsmedley (@damonsmedley)
3rd October 2011, 10:01
I love this feature Keith! You really do a good job to find all of these. :)
My favourites:
The Lotus pit stop practice because it shows their reactions and synchronisation perfectly.
The one that shows them walking to the circuit during qualifying, because I love the sound of the cars reverberating off the buildings.
The cars at speed through the kink, as it gave me goosebumps despite the sound breaking up.
The fireworks video is especially cool. I can’t believe how many they used! F1 and fireworks at night must be the prettiest sight known to man.