Singapore Grand Prix rocks as country celebrates 50 years

THE 2015 Singapore Grand Prix marked another successful edition of the nighttime racing spectacle. The atmosphere at the Marina Bay Street Circuit is unique in the Formula One calendar, placing the audience at the heart of Singapore’s bustling commercial and cultural area as the cars go blazing by under the floodlights.

This year’s race was fiercely contested by the leading drivers, with several safety car periods tightening up the field. Previous winner Lewis Hamilton came into the weekend as the favorite, but he was not able to put his car in pole position. That was earned by Sebastian Vettel, leading a resurging Ferrari.

Vettel’s 4th

Hamilton eventually failed to finish the race. A bizarre incident saw a spectator entering the track, prompting another safety car period.

Vettel pulled off his fourth Singapore Grand Prix victory.

Another potential obstacle was the haze that has enveloped Singapore in the days leading to the grand prix. Thankfully, the burning activities that caused the pollution seemed to slow down for a few days, giving a clearer atmosphere during the race weekend.

The buildings were once again gleaming under the floodlights, with the colonial-style architecture on full display, as were more modern additions like the Marina Bay Sands hotel and the Singapore Flyer.

Party time

Singapore pulled out all the stops for its entertainment lineup in 2015. Friday night saw Grammy Award winner Pharell Williams on the Padang stage. Maroon 5 with front man Adam Levine had the crowd singing and dancing along till well past midnight after qualifying.

After the main race on Sunday, Bon Jovi rocked the Padang stage. Also, British band Spandau Ballet was in top form, performing hit after hit, including Gold, True, and Only When You Leave. Jamaican reggae singer Jimmy Cliff could see clearly after the haze was gone.

Heady mix

The 2015 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix was once again a heady mix of Formula One racing action and world-class entertainment. The weekend recorded the third-highest attendance for the event over its eight-year history.

Close to 90,000 spectators attended daily, with a total of 260,912 attendees at the Marina Bay Street Circuit over the three-day event.

Only the inaugural 2008 race and the 2013 event surpassed this count. The Singapore Grand Prix tied well with Sin- gapore’s celebration of its 50th year. No wonder the fireworks seemed brighter and the festivities more profound.

Already, early-bird tickets went on sale soon after the race weekend, with some new ticket categories including vouchers for merchandise.