In case the recent road closures around the city centre hasn’t clued you in, F1 season is upon us, with the practice sessions, qualifiers and main race itself scheduled to take place from 20th-22nd September 2024. If you’re a diehard motorhead, you’d have already snagged your tickets the moment they dropped; good on you.
But for fans who were a tad slow on the draw and missed out on securing seats to this year’s race, don’t worry. We’ve done the groundwork for you and picked out some of the best free spots to catch the F1 Singapore 2024 Grand Prix. Read on to find out more on where you can get a slice of the high-octane action, for the low, low price of nothing at all.
P.S. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that these spots are still accessible over the weekend.
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Millenia Walk’s one of those hidden gems in the city that gets overshadowed by bigger malls like Suntec City, but perhaps you can use its lower footfall to your advantage this weekend. There’s an overhead link bridge for pedestrians to travel between Millenia Walk and Marina Square, and that’s where you’ll be making yourself cosy for the race.
Walk towards the mall’s exit on the second floor next to Harvey Norman (#02-37), and you’ll find the link bridge on your right. Those who make their way here will be privy to unobstructed views of Turn 6, and you can even hit up the bars in the area such as Paulaner Bräuhaus Singapore beforehand for a pre-race buzz.
The rooftop garden is also a great spot to catch the NDP fireworks.
For a better viewing experience, you can also set up your camp chairs at the nearby Marina Square. Of course, you won’t catch any of the action from within the mall, so head up to Marina Square’s rooftop.
It’s on level 3, and you can follow the signs within the mall to guide you to the rooftop. If you’ve somehow lost your way, look out for an exit near the Sofra Turkish Cafe & Restaurant (#03-129A), make a left, and you’ve arrived at this zen-like enclave. The rooftop garden will provide you with a higher vantage point, and thus aerial views of the entire track.
Another viewing point you can watch the racers whiz by is at the link bridge between Marina Square and Suntec City. Blink and you’ll miss the cars as the speed demons burn rubber when they leave Turn 6.
To get here, keep your eyes peeled for the Kimage Hair Salon (#02-321/322/323) next to the Marina Square-Suntec City link bridge, and follow the path from the salon to chope your spot.
For our next spot, you’ll want to make a beeline for National Gallery Singapore, but the museum dates can wait; you’re here to watch the racers go full throttle on the asphalt. To do so, head up to the National Gallery’s rooftop by taking a lift in the museum’s City Hall Wing.
The rooftop serves as a spacious viewing deck to watch the cars make their rounds down below. You can even grab some drinks at the Smoke & Mirrors bar and enjoy your cocktails al fresco as the engines roar in the background.
Situated right next to the crowd magnet that is Marina Bay Sands, the iconic Helix Bridge also sees its fair share of tourists on the daily, so you’ll want to come here earlier to beat the hordes. That’s because it’s a prime spot to score views of the Marina Bay Street Circuit’s finish line.
To unlock glimpses of a picture-perfect finish, the Helix bridge is but a 1-minute walk from Marina Bay Sands, sauntering over to the spot you see in the above video. Do make way for any oncoming cyclists or joggers though, as the bridge’s a hotspot for them.
The popular Merlion Park is our final FOC location to check out the F1 Singapore Grand Prix at. Amongst the throngs of tourists lies a pretty good viewing spot to witness the racers navigate Turn 13, you’ll be able to get mighty close to the circuit as compared to the other entries on this list.
This specific walkway is only a few minutes’ walk from the luxurious One Fullerton Hotel, so guests staying here over the F1 weekend are utterly blessed with this complimentary view of the race.
Image credit: Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix
The hype for the upcoming F1 Singapore 2024 Grand Prix is truly infectious, but much like concerts in Singapore, tickets to the race don’t come cheap. Nonetheless, if you’re curious about what’s going down on the Marina Bay Street Circuit this year, visiting these free spots to catch the racers is one way to do it without blowing a hole in your wallet.
To usher in the F1 vibes, read our Singapore Grand Prix weekend guide for some valuable tips and hacks, or hit up these F1-themed events in Singapore. If you’d rather go behind the wheel yourself, then here are the best go-karting and virtual racing circuits in Singapore.
Photography by Ng Zhi Feng.
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