Witnessing a Formula 1 (F1) race in person was my dream come true.
One afternoon out of the blue, my dad went up to me and asked, “Sage, do you wanna watch F1?” My dad had never watched F1 in his entire life, and leading up to the race, he never even bothered to watch one bit. My mom tells me he spoils me since he knows how much I love F1, but I think he just wants to find an excuse to go on a vacation. Right after that conversation, we immediately booked the tickets, the plane fare, and even the hotel room, and it was set. We were going to watch the 2022 Singapore Grand Prix.
An F1 season usually consists of 22 races over a season. Each race lasts an entire weekend (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday). Fridays are free practices wherein teams can freely drive around the race track, test their setups, and let the drivers familiarize themselves with the track. Saturday is qualifying. On this day, teams set out their drivers to try and get the fastest lap time. This decides where you start in the grid, whether you start from the front or the back. Finally, Sunday is race day.
Coming into the Grand Prix, we expected the worst. It was said to have been jam-packed with over 300,000 people in attendance. But once we arrived, we did not experience any of those rumors at all. Lines were fast, seats were not crowded, and everything went smoothly.
An F1 weekend is like a theme park. Like theme parks, it had different attractions. There were different races prior to the main race itself such as the W Series or the Supercar Series. Think of it as an opening act to the main event. It also offered concerts with artists that featured the Black Eyed Peas, Westlife, and Kid Laroi.
Our entire F1 experience so far has gone great. But suddenly, an hour before the race, it started raining heavily. People found all types of shelter as most of the seating was outdoors. These would be under bridges, under a tree, and we even saw people hiding under a hotdog cart’s umbrella, anywhere as long as they could keep themselves dry. Unlike them, we came prepared. We bought a raincoat, an umbrella, and even a plastic shoe cover that supposedly kept it from being wet. But the rain was so intense that despite all our efforts, we were soaked from head to toe. Water filled the bottom of my shoe, and I could hear a squeak every time I took a step. Even the extra shirts we brought were drenched, forcing us to buy overpriced merchandise to keep ourselves dry.
The race lasted around three hours and was delayed for more than an hour due to safety concerns because of the rain. Although our bodies felt sticky, wet, and uncomfortable, the energy around the stadium when the race started made all those thoughts disappear. In every overtake, or when a car passes through our seats, everyone's chants and roars could be heard as people stood up and cheered for the team they were rooting for. Three hours passed like nothing, and once it was all said and done, fireworks lit up the sky, giving the event a perfect ending.
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