Every year, Formula 1 fans descend on the little island city of Singapore for one of the most exciting weekends of the World Championship. The Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix was Asia’s pioneer night race and the first-ever to do so on a street circuit designed just for F1. With the cars racing through the turns of Marina Bay Street Circuit, fans are always guaranteed a high-octane show of skill from each team. However, the excitement extends beyond the tracks as the rest of the city also comes alive in celebration of the races for Grand Prix Season Singapore (or GPSS for short).
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During GPSS, visitors and locals alike can take advantage of countless activities, promotions, and events that dot the streets of the city. This year’s festivities included special guest DJs, a street party, exclusive race weekend menus, and so much more. We were lucky enough to get a taste of the thrill this year along with BURO Friend Natalie Chai—also known as @thenatstory—over three days in Singapore. Here’s how it all went down.
DAY ONE
MORNING: BRUNCH AT KWEE ZEEN, SOFITEL SINGAPORE SENTOSA RESORT & SPA
We hopped off our flight and the first order of business was to get ourselves well-fed and fueled up for the day. To get this sorted, we headed to Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa for its “A Feast for the Champions” special menu at its all-day dining destination, Kwee Zeen. The dishes were curated as a tribute to the different nationalities of the top F1 drivers like Yuki Tsunoda, George Russell, and Carlos Sainz Jr. We’re talking Japanese takoyaki, British mince pies, Spanish jamon croquetas, Australian beef sliders and local favourite Hainanese chicken rice.
AFTERNOON: ELECTRIC GO-KARTING AT HYPERDRIVE
Once our appetites were satisfied, we hopped over to HyperDrive, located at The Palawan @ Sentosa. This impressive venue is Singapore’s sole indoor go-karting circuit, complete with multi-tiered tracks, LED lights, and a viewing deck. It boasts a fleet of 36 SODI electric go-karts that can get advanced drivers up to 50 km/h.
On top of the run-of-the-mill circuit races, HyperDrive is the first–and currently the only–karting venue that also has a ‘Game of Karts’ mode. Combining go-karting with virtual gaming, ‘Game of Karts’ is a real-life racing game, complete with sound effects, special lighting, power-ups, and more.
EVENING: DINNER AT LAU PA SAT
What’s a trip to Singapore without a taste of its vibrant cuisine? For our first dinner of the trip, we decided to make a beeline for Lau Pa Sat, an iconic hawker market right in the middle of the CBD. Named after the Hokkien way of saying “old market”, this bustling food centre is home to over 80 stalls. Trust us, you and your palate will never get bored here. While there, we got our fill of satay, mee pok, barbecued chicken wings, and more. Oh, and who could forget Singapore’s national dish, chilli crab? Not us!
NIGHT: GAME TIME AT THE GLAM CIRCUIT FESTIVAL 2024
To get us into the F1 spirit, a visit to The Glam Circuit Festival was a must during Grand Prix Season Singapore. Set within the Kampong Gelam streets, the festival encompassed race-themed games, musical performances, food stalls, and even a racing simulator. Natalie got behind the wheel of the simulation race herself to see what all the hype was about. After a few nail-biting laps, it was safe to say that the game won her seal of approval. She also tuned in to her creative side, adding her touch to a life-sized cardboard race car with paints and markers.
NIGHTCAP: WHISKY TASTING AT THE GRANDE WHISKY MUSEUM
Before turning in for the night, we adjourned to The Grande Whisky Museum. Home to the world’s largest collection of rare and vintage whiskies, this place is a haven for those who love their liquid gold, and booking yourself a tour of its record-breaking collection is an absolute must. With floor to ceiling shelves of incredible blends and single malts, its vault is a treasure trove of bottles and is truly a sight to behold. However, you will have to leave your phones and cameras outside for this one. After the tour, get sipping with a tasting session led by one of their knowledgeable Whisky Ambassadors.
DAY TWO
MORNING: BRUNCH AT AMÒ
We kicked off our second day in Singapore on a delicious Italian note with a hearty lunch at Amò. Everything on the menu at this Hong Kong Street eatery had us salivating from the moment we sat down at our tables. We were treated to a selection of the restaurant’s greatest hits, including a tuna tartare, calamari, artisanal Buratta with tomatoes, linguine with clams, and more. When it was time to leave, we were absolutely stuffed but oh, so satisfied with our first meal of the day.
AFTERNOON: STROLLING THROUGH NEW BAHRU
After all that brunching, we were in dire need to walk off the food, so we made our way to New Bahru. The latest addition to Singapore’s creative lifestyle landscape, this development is set within the now salmon-hued walls of the former Nan Chiau High School.
The space is home to some of the city’s beloved homegrown brands across wellness, lifestyle, apparel, crafts, and more. Not to mention, its army of restaurants, cafés, and bars also make it a leading dining destination in the city. During our time there, we checked out its main event space—which used to be the school’s assembly hall—and got to know the stories behind the property. We were absolutely enamoured with each of its retail and dining tenants’ spaces, from cocktail bar Bar Bon Funk and design studio Studio Yono to wellness centre Hideaway and plant design studio Soilboy.
EVENING & NIGHT: OFF TO THE RACES AT THE SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX
As the sun set, we knew it was time to head to the tracks at Marina Bay Street Circuit. Not only did we get to witness the first practices of the weekend, but we were lucky enough to catch the action from the balconies of the Vanda Suite. Access to this comfortable space meant that we got incredible views of the pit area and the first turn of the circuit. This also meant we could spot our favourite drivers like Charles Leclerc and Daniel Ricciardo with unobstructed views!
In between the revs and overtakes, we kept ourselves fed with Vanda Suite’s scrumptious buffet. Plus, we could head up to the roof of the Sky Suite building for some bites courtesy of Michelin-starred restaurants like Born and Thevar as well as sips from award-winning cocktail bars. To end our time at the tracks, we tuned in to Honne and One Republic’s energising concerts that had the crowd singing their hearts out.
DAY THREE
MORNING: BRUNCH AT HIGH HOUSE, ONE RAFFLES PLACE
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Following a much-needed night of slumber, a champagne brunch at the stunning High House was the only way we wanted to start our final day here. Located on the 61st and 62nd floor of One Raffles Place, the space was a treat for the eyes and our appetites. We tucked into world-class bites by chef Taro Takayama that we paired with bubbly alongside sunlit views of the Singapore River and Marina Bay.
Dubbed Lap62, the menu was an F1 weekend exclusive, curated to accompany the excitement from the races. Our favourites from the selection included the crab chawanmushi topped with ikura and the shabu-shabu A5 Wagyu beef with sesame sauce. The tuna tartare tarts and foie gras monaka bites were also hits around the table. Plus, who could complain about a little champagne to start the day? Not us!
AFTERNOON: STREET STYLE SPEEDWAY POP-UP AT CLARKE QUAY
On the way to Changi Airport for our flight home, we stopped by Culture Cartel’s Street Style Speedway pop-up at Clarke Quay, where streetwear, cars, and art came together. The stars of the show were two Mercedes-Benz CLA 45S 4MATIC+ Coupes that were transformed into works of art by local artists Alvin Phunk and SuperCyberTown. The former put his personal vibrant touch onto the car in the form of a dynamic wrap job. Meanwhile, SuperCyberTown’s colourful work came to life after the sun went down with the help of projection mapping.
We couldn’t leave without checking out the exclusive Grand Prix Season Singapore Limited Edt x Culture Cartel Fashion Apparel Retail Store. There were limited edition shirts, sneakers, caps, and more from brands like Puma as well as Chamber to browse. Also on display were exclusive race merchandise from teams including Red Bull and McLaren. While we weren’t able to catch the evening festivities, we’re sure the drone show and light installations on Read Bridge were sights to behold.
EVENING: UNTIL NEXT TIME, SINGAPORE!
Before we knew it, our three-day stint in Singapore had come to an end. Though we were boarding our flight with tired feet, we also bid adieu to the Lion City with full hearts (and stomachs). Singapore has yet again proved itself to be a worthy host to the most exciting motorsport event of the year. Having experienced the Grand Prix Season Singapore 2024 at full throttle, we can assure any future F1 fan that their time here will be packed with action and excitement.
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