Marina Bay Street Circuit, Singapore
Joining the Formula 1 calendar in 2008, The Marina Bay Street circuit in the heart of Singapore’s business district. With 23 corners flood lit by over 1500 projectors, there is no circuit on the planet quite like this one.
The world’s first F1 night race and still a firm favourite with fans and drivers alike. While not a fast circuit it is a very challenging one with plenty of 90 degree corners, a few fast straights, couple with that narrow street design with barely any room for runoff anywhere along the track. The Singapore Grand Prix is one tough course to race on.
This is an unforgiving track, just as a street circuit should be.
Martin Brundle – F1 Commentator and former F1 driver
The heat and humidity of Singapore are something to experience for fans and drivers. Incredibly challenging conditions and so many corners make this race always hit the 2 hour limit and safety cars are a given with over 20 deployments of the car since its inaugural event in 2008.

The original night race, Singapore has been under the flood lights from day one unlike the Bahrain Grand Prix which converted to a night race in 2014. The circuit is tricky, unforgiving and exciting, just like a street circuit should be. Think Baku in Azerbaijan but with shorter straights.



Viewing areas
Turn 1 Grandstand
A popular location for F1 fanatics from all over the world as Turn 1 at Singapore has repeatedly been the site of some incredible action.
Over the years this corner has caught many drivers out with high speeds shunts a very high possibility.
The Turn 1 grandstand is relatively long with wide sweeping viewing angles down the pit straight to the finish line to your left and looking down the road of Turn 1, 2 and 3 to your right.
There’s ample run-off where its needed by the Turn 1 grandstand couldn’t be any closer to the track. Just a small service path, a catch fencing and painted curb is all that separate you from the F1 action.
Looking down the road as 20 cars battle for position at the start of the race is nothing short of exhilarating and offers a fantastic view from any seat in this grandstand.
Some seats further to the right of this grandstand are further away from the main track as the run off area is situated in front of these seats, but this is such a fast part of the circuit with cars approaching at around 290kph (180mph) that you’re almost guaranteed to see someone spin, crash or take to the extra tarmac to avoid an accident, all right in front of your seat.
There’s a giant screen opposite the track here which is useful for viewing other action around the track but possibly too far away for some to view timing captions. If you’re closer to the entrance of Turn 1 there’s a TV screen opposite which is closer and more readable
Turn 2 Grandstand
Right in the middle of the action and the middle of the 3 grandstands that create a stadium like effect at the end of the pit straight.
This is where thousands of eager fans come to witness the tumultuous starts to ever Singapore F1 Grand Prix.
Unlike the grandstand at turn 1, this grandstand faces straight down the pit straight so the start of the race is an epic run to the first corner as cars hurtle straight towards you.
Its a thrilling view with ample run-off in front of you to help slow down wayward cars. Seats higher up get a great view down the pit lane too.
You’re guaranteed to see some action here especially at the start of the race, as well as the spectacular firework display at the end of every Singapore Grand Prix.
Amenities here are shared with Grandstands are Turns 1 and 3 with your own concerts after each session and plenty of food and drink stalls to get your refreshments relatively quickly. There’s plenty of toilets too entertainment to keep any age of F1 fan amused.
The unique view down the pit straight is worth the price of admission alone.
Pit Grandstand
For some people the best view of a grand prix is always the pit straight and with over 300 metres of grandstand at the Singapore F1 night race along the start / finish line there’s plenty of tickets here to scratch that itch.
You’ll get panoramic views from the last turn to the first with great views in to all the team garages as well. Plenty of entertainment and fanfare before and after the rest too.
You’ll have access to all public zones of the entire grand prix site (Zones 1 to 4) which includes both the main concert area at Pedang Cricket Ground and the smaller more exclusive entertainment zone behind the Turn 2 and 3 grandstands.
Amenities here are close by but this large capacity grandstand will inevitably lead to some queues for access to toilets, food and drink and exits.
You’re also quite a walk from the main entertainment zone if you do want to catch the famous live acts that the Singapore F1 Grand Prix has become famous for. Expect around a 30-40 minute walk from your seat to the Pedang area.
There’s plenty to view here and the giant screens above the pit garages will keep you on top of all the other on track action. The Singapore grand prix race starts have always been exciting and plenty of pit lane action as well to make the high ticket price worth the extra money.
Super Pit
As with any grandstand, the higher up you sit the better the views. But grandstand ticket allocations are generally given on a first come first serve basis so you’re never quite sure how high up you’ll be. This is where the Super Pit tickets at the Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix prove useful. Guaranteeing you a seat higher up the grandstand looking down on the track and the pit lane.
Views in to the team garages are great and you’ll be able to catch much of the pit stop action too with teams fighting for position in the pit lane. You’ll see pit boards displayed along the pit wall and catch all of the first lap action as the lights go out.
Exactly where along this large grandstand your seat is will dictate how great your view is. The top teams are situated closer to the pit exit near turn 1 with the pit exit actually leading cars out in to turn 3.
If you’re sat more to the left of the grandstand you’ll see cars coming around the last corner at incredible speeds before crossing the line.
After the first lap this straight is not much of an overtaking zone so much of the action will be pit side. Views of the skyline are limited but views of the fireworks are spectacular with pyrotechnics along the entire length of the pit straight.
Giant TV screens are integrated in to the building design above the pits.
With such a large grandstand capacity you’ll find it better to be strategic about refreshment and toilet breaks to avoid big queues. Its also a good 30-40 minute walk from your seat to the main Padang concert area so I advise making the most of nearby entertainment zones rather than spending much of your weekend walking long distances.
Your ticket allows for general admission viewing at some areas of the track so maybe spend part of a free practice session checking those out.
Turn 3 Premier Grandstand and lounge
There’s a good reason this grandstand has been named “Premier” as the views here are fantastic. Due to the high intensity of a race start at the Marina Bay F1 circuit there’s a large painted tarmac runoff area here.
The track twists from turn 1 to turn 3 right in front of this long grandstand which guarantees you’ll see amazing track action. The first lap alone has seen some truly epic moments at these corners so its no wonder these seats some of the most expensive and highly prized.
Video: Hulkenburg crash start
This area of the track is quite some distance to walk to the entertainment zone. The street nature of this track making pedestrian access from here to Pedang Grandstand a little more difficult as service roads and pit and padding amenities take priority here.
Video: High seat view
There’s even a turn 3 premier bar and viewing area which overlooks part of the track, exclusive to Turn 3 Premier ticket holders. Making this ticket one of the hottest
Because of its location the grandstands have their own entertainment zone with famous bands from around the world playing a more exclusive stage. With bars and food stalls aplenty and areas to sit and enjoy the atmosphere of an F1 night race.
Amenities here are easily accessible and there’s plenty to do and see during the race weekend without needed to venture to the Padang area (although I highly recommend you do).
Stamford Grandstand
Singapore has only 2 real fast straights, one of which leads down to Turn 7 which is arguably the most likely place for overtakes. Its also one of the few corners with run-off area that allows banzai overtake manoeuvres to take place with some margin for error without crashing.
This makes the Stamford Grandstand along the very short straight between 7 and 8 a very appealing place to sit with great views of overtakes and switch-back attempts right in front of the grandstand.
Video: High seat
The high rake of the grandstand in such a small setting means plenty of viewing action whatever row you’re sat in. Those closer to the action further down the grandstand will experience more of the aggression of an F1 car close up as the cars pass just metres away. While those higher up with get better panoramic views from turn 7 down to turn 8.
Low seat
The Stamford memorial area is very small with little room for amenities or food stalls. You’ll find some souvenir stalls nearby and a few toilets but for everything else you need I recommend heading to the Pedang cricket ground and concert area using the underpass. At peak times it can take 5-10 minutes to navigate this underpass as they try to keep pedestrian traffic to a manageable amount so keep that in mind when exploring the circuit.
Access to the grandstand is very easier with a gate nearby that sees less traffic than other gates. Its also a great place to grab a team cap or shirt to cheer on your favourite driver!
Padang Grandstands
The configuration of the grandstands here has changed over the years to accommodate the massive concert stage that now dominates the Padang Cricket Ground.
There are currently 2 large grandstands either side of the stage both considered to be one ticket block so you may be in either grandstand when your tickets come through. The grandstand to the right of the concert stage may give you views out of turn 9 although cars are often accelerating hard by the time they reach your location.
The grandstand to the left of the concert stage is around the braking zone area so you may catch more action here. The re-profiled turn 10 is a chicane designed to reduce the speed of the cars and keep them on track.
The atmosphere here is palpable with large grandstands packed with locals and tourists alike, large screens opposite the grandstand provide much of the viewable action as turns 9 to 10 are not really an overtaking zone.
Access to amenities here is unsurprisingly excellent with the concert area right next to the grandstand staircases. There’s plenty of food and drink options here although as many of the viewing areas and paying customers want to visit this area, queues can form quickly at many of the food and drink stalls.
Tickets here are the cheapest of the grandstands that have quick access to Padang so if you’re on a budget these are a great option.
Empress Grandstand
This relatively new addition to the available grandstands at the Singapore Grand Prix offers a few of the fast turns of 11 and 12 at Esplanade Park. Its the only grandstand in the vicinity that is outside of the Pedang cricket ground area.
The greatest part of the view here is the Anderson Bridge, built in 1910 and one of the narrowest parts of the track. One half of the bridge is a service lane for safety marshals, the other is a hard braking part of the track before the cars turn right and head over the water of Marina Bay along Esplanade Bridge.

Amenities here are mostly accessed by taking the underpass by the Anderson Bridge to the Pedang Cricket ground where the concerts and bars are located.
There is a small and exclusive feeling Empress Lawn area which is great for families and offers limited entertainment and refreshments to keep you going in the Singaporean humidity.

Views are limited here as the trees, buildings, catch fencing, bridge supports and other city street items block views of the track. Access to the Pedang is what you’re really paying for here.
Connaught Grandstand
Facing the impressive Esplanade Theatre building with its 7,000 triangular sunshades adorning its roof, the track has a slight descent from the Esplanade Bridge where drivers try to out brake each other in to the right hander of turn 14.
You’ll see the sparks and smell the titanium skid-blocks on Formula 1 cars burning away as the brake hard right in front of you and jostle for position heading up to turn 15 at full throttle.
The grandstand here is fairly large and long with plenty of spectators craning their next to catch the action as the cars sweep over the bridge and brake hard. The atmosphere here is great and you really feel in the thick of the action. Plenty of drivers have tried, some have failed, to overtake here so you’re pretty much guaranteed to something happen!
Access to the entertainment area of the Pedang Cricket Ground is excellent here with plenty of bars, food stalls and toilets just 30 seconds away from your seat. Making it one of the most easily accessible and enjoyable viewing experiences at the Singapore F1 Grand Prix.
For eagle eyed and lucky ticket holders located at the left hand side of the Connaught Grandstand you may also catch a glimpse of the action at turns 7 and 8 which use the same streets that would normally be a crossroads.
Bay Grandstand
By far the biggest grandstand at the Singapore F1 Grand Prix and by far the one with the most impressive views of the Singapore city skyline. With the iconic Marina Bay Sands Casino, hotel and shopping complex to your left, the CBD skyline in front of you and panoramic views of the Marina bay itself.
The track here is short with just 100 or so metres in front of you, the slightly curved yet still 90 degree turn of 17 leading to another 90 degree turn that actually goes inside the marina bay grandstand and out the other side at turns 18 and 19.
The grandstand is a permanent structure built for the Singapore Day parades, an annual event to bring unity and a celebration of Singapore’s Independence. So the structure is comfortable and easily accessible.
While views of the surrounding area are great, views of the track are fairly limited. The short amount of track and 90 degree turns makes viewing other corners difficult here. You may be able to see cars along some parts of Esplanade drive but general admission viewing platforms have been added here over the years.
The best place to sit is right above the track where it enters the grandstand itself as you’ll get a very unique almost “top down” view of a grand prix circuit. The only place in the world where this view is possible.
Giant TV screens on the floating pontoon opposite the track are your best bet for viewing the action, and because of this ticket prices for this massive grandstand are very reasonably priced.
There’s easy access to all the entertainment nearby with a short walk below the Esplanade bridge. There’s also plenty food and drink options within the grounds of the grand prix as part of the shopping malls are located just to the side of the Bay Grandstand.
The night time nature of this race and the entertainment laid on make up for the lack of track view here.
Paddock Club
The exclusive Paddock Club at the Singapore F1 Grand Prix is situated above the garages in the pit lane offering a very unique view of the track with a price tag to match. You also get access to amazing food cooked by award winning chefs, spa treatments, exclusive roof-top entertainment at “The Garden” and a top-down look in air conditioned comfort of all the pits.
The view of the track here is limited by the position and setup of the building, so views of the pit garages require you to be directly above the pit box you want to view. Granted the views are exceptional but viewing a pit box further down the track is somewhat limited.
This is also along the pit straight which isn’t known for epic overtaking manoeuvres other than the start of the race. Its more about the atmosphere and exclusivity of your location than panoramic views of the action.
Amenities here are excellent with everything you need on site. Luxury quality wash rooms, insanely good food prepared by some of Singapore’s finest chefs. Added features that only Singapore can provide like an exclusive spa, a luxury bar, roof top viewing area and exclusive Garden Stage too.
The Best Grandstand at the Singapore F1 Grand Prix

For the best view at the Singapore Formula One race you’ll want tickets for the Turn 2 Grandstand. The F1 cars head straight towards you from the start line before battling it out at turns 1 and 2 right in front of your seat. There’s always plenty of track action.
How to get to the Singapore F1 GP?
So now you know where you want to sit, you need to know how to get there too! We’ve written a separate article giving you all the options. From nearest airports and cheap flight deals, to driving routes from Malaysian cities, coach and train services too as well as some hotel options.
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