Singaporeans love motor racing, then and now

The mathematics about it is mind-boggling.

The Marina Bay Street Circuit infrastructure has 2,600 concrete barriers, 1,500 lightning projectors, 57 power generators, 36 garages and 800,000 tonnes of team equipment.

The science behind it is beyond comprehension for many.

Each car that roared off on Sunday at the 2013 Formula 1 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix had 120 sensors, 3.8-litre turbocharged V8 engines, a system output of 916hp, maximum torque of 900Nm... all foreign to the ordinary man.

The economics of staging it brings tourist dollars by the millions - an average of $150 million in incremental receipts - to Singapore.

The chemistry between driver and pit officials is paramount.

Even removing and replacing four tyres in eight seconds at the pit stop can be considered a wee bit slow.

For the man on the street here, all these "subjects" matter little.

For him, Formula 1's only night race is about the skill of the driver, the condition of his car and the efficiency of his pit crew.

And about who leads, who overtakes and who greets the chequered flag first.

One name

So if Sunday's race has to be put in perspective, only one name mattered.

Sebastian Vettel.

He came, saw and conquered the Marina Bay circuit.

AGAIN.

In taking the chequered flag in Singapore for the third time under the lights of the street circuit, he reduced his opposition to cannon fodder, winning by a record 32.6-second margin.

Only for a matter of seconds was the German rattled as he had to give way to Rosberg going into Turn 1.

But Vettel, the master on machine, powered back into the lead, and from there he stepped on the gas to blaze away to glory.

That gesture by Vettel, when he raised his right hand as he greeted the chequered flag before carrying the momentum through in the lap of honour, may seem the only constant remaining when compared to the heady days of Grand Prix racing at the Upper Thomson Road circuit that roared off in 1961.

Crowds gathered then to watch the Lotuses, Elfins and Brabhams; today they are thrilled by the sight of the Red Bulls, Ferraris and McLarens.

Clearly, Singaporeans, denied speeding on most of our roads, enjoy the thrills and spills (as long as there are no serious accidents) of racing.

A total of 150,000 fans turned up annually back then to watch the likes of Albert Poon, Rodney Seow, Lee Han Seng - the latter two Singaporeans - making the V-sign in the days when average speeds were below 150kmh.

The smell of burnt fuel, the odour from worn-out tyres, the roar of the engines and the sight of overtaking cars gave Singaporeans the excitement then, and now.

Then there was also motorbike racing, and Chris Conn was a regular winner during a time when the Hondas, Suzukis, Kawasakis and Yamahas were popular.

Heady days

In those heady days all the action could have been witnessed for just $1, standing with the crowds behind the fences at vantage points in the public enclosure.

Safety (our own Lionel Chan died in a crash in 1972) was the big issue that caused the GP to be stopped after 1973 to the chagrin of our racing fraternity.

Building a permanent circuit was the recommendation for the Grand Prix to be restarted.

In land-scarce Singapore, far-fetched was that idea.

Thus turning Marina Bay into a permanent venue for almost a week every September since 2008 was a masterstroke for this tiny island.

And now, despite minor complaints of a bumpy track, dangerous concrete walls at many turns and sometimes claustrophobic atmosphere, the SingTel Singapore Grand Prix has become one of Formula 1's most cherished races.

With a night race in Bahrain possibly in the pipeline to take away some exclusivity from Singapore, fears of this tag being snatched is never far away.

However, F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone allayed those fears when he replied to a question about Bahrain stealing Singapore's thunder by saying: "No. Why should it? Yours is a fantastic event."

The sixth edition of the renewed Singapore Grand Prix scored yet another resounding success.

A whopping 87,509 fans watched Sunday's race from the overall three-day attendance of 262,527.

The race remains very challenging despite tweaks to a couple of turns which were deemed too dangerous.

The backdrop of the Singapore skyline contoured by tall lighted buildings is a treat for viewers.

And sincere attempts by the organisers to engage people from the whole of Singapore, from the hoi polloi of the heartlands (mainly students) to the "Who's Who" of business, have to be applauded.

Now the test for the Singapore GP organisers is to think up fresh ideas to make this annual event bigger and better in the light of new global challenges.

If there is one thing to be garnered from the 60-40 ratio of locals versus foreigners attending the race each year, it is that Singaporeans love Formula 1 and motor racing.

They always have.

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