Get Your Chips Ready for 7ASTE - Monte Carlo

It's been five months already. I have been waiting for this up coming 7ASTE event. Previously it's Cape Town, this time the theme is Monte Carlo. Why it makes me feel like drinking a dry martini shaken not stirred? Maybe it reminds me of the hot girls and fast cars chasing scene in a James Bond movie.

The last 7ASTE Cape Town event was great. Free flow of red and white wine and also nice finger food. Also there games that you can play and win free gifts. One lucky man won himself a Samsung 32" LCD TV just by playing one of the game there. Lucky man.

The Lucky Guy with his LCD TV

I won't want to miss this up coming 7ASTE event after I've seen how they can throw up such a great party on the previous one. Good news is that, entry is free, just register with 7ASTE as a member. Registration is FOC! RSVP for this 7ASTE Monte Carlo event and you are invited. Well, you'll have to pay RM 77 if you want to go and don't want to register as a member. I will choose the former. LOL.

Visit 7ASTE official website for registration, more updates on their Facebook Page or follow 7ASTE Tweeter to find out special offer.

Singapore Grand Prix 2010 - Visiting Team Lotus F1 Pit

In my previous post, I mentioned that we might have the chance to visit the pit area of Team Lotus F1. According to Von, it will all depends on the weather on whether we are going to visit the pit area. Thank god when we are about to depart the rain has stopped and we got confirmation.

We will have to go to Gate 2 to get to the Pit.

Security check.

Oh. On the second day, we were given the Lotus F1 Maxis cap and also knapsack. Nice. We have to walk a bit to get to the pit area after checking in into Gate2. On the way we saw the Porsche Carrera Cup is going on. Found out it's just a practice round later.

This Porsche came in 2nd in the race.

There are a lot of overhead pass linking from one place to another in the circuit.

It's J & J again. LOL.

Follow the Maxis sign and you won't get lost.

What, why we came to the Paddock Club?

Of course, we didn't get lost because the paddock is above the garage and pit. We're going to visit the garage and the pit. It's another round of checking to go in.

There's limited passes to going all at one time to visit the garage and pit. So, each time only 4 people are able to going at any one time. So, each group of four will take 10 minutes to visit and then pass the passes to another group of four.

While waiting, we of course take pictures.

That's Jackie's hand

Let me in!

A pic with the friendly and helpful peeps from Lotus Racing

Okay, let's fast forward. Jessica, Jackie and I were the last group to go in.

We were told that we can take any picture except for the picture of the engine and gearbox due to FIA regulations.

Once I stepped into the garage, I was greeted by many headphones.

During a Grand Prix, the pit crew literally make the garage their home. The are busy modifying the F1 race car based on the data collected during the practice rounds.

One would have guess that these are for fueling.

18 for Jarno Trulli

And 19 for Heikki Kovalainen

These two gentlemen are important people.

This is how the sit looks like.

This is how the pit looks like from this side.

Opposite is where we'll be sitting, the Pit Grandstand.

This is where the race car will exit after making a pit stop.

Communication with the drivers and accurate data collecting is crucial.

Each team has their own dining area. Too bad we don't have time to take a quick bite there :p

Different tires are used depending on the condition of the track.

The LR8 is the energy drink for the Lotus F1 Team. Different concoction for different kind of weather?

Ah, visiting the garage and pit area is such a once in a life time experience. Not every time one can easily visit the pit of a Formula One racing team.

After the visit, it's back to the Pit Grandstand. The Porsche Carrera Cup is about to start. Grid girls on standby, and wait, and wait and....

Yawn...when are they going to come the Porsches.

Alas, there they are, the racers and cars. Pity those grid girls posing and holding the sign in the same position for about 30 minutes I think.

The Porsche Carrera Cup is a very short race which only last about 30 minutes doing 12 laps on the circuit. Still nothing beats watching the Formula One cars racing neck to neck during the Race Day on Sunday. More on that soon.

Singapore Grand Prix 2010 - Day 1

Oops, it's been few days I didn't update this blog already. Well, I've been quite busy with my car in the workshop and all. Also I had to renew my passport on Wednesday after getting the invitation to join the 10 winners of the Hitz.FM and MY FM on the Maxis Lotus F1 - Singapore Grand Prix 2010. Thanks to Maxis and also Nuffnang, me, Jessica and Jackie Loi embarked on the journey from Menara Maxis to check in at Grand Park City Hall, Singapore and will be going for 3 days for the F1 events that is going on there.

It's

Jessica with the nice people from Maxis Lotus F1

J and J

Even walking to the City Hall MRT station I was able to hear the F1 engine roaring. The hotel is charging SGD 8 per half hour for Internet in the room or SGD 24 for 1 day. Thank you Singapore Government for having Wireless@SG which is a free Wireless Internet service that I was able to connect through in our room, which is on the 6th floor by the way. Registration is needed but you'll need a Singapore number. I got Hotlink roaming and connected to M1 and it sent me an SMS to dial *181*# and a username and password will be text to you to connect to Wireless@SG WiFi. The connection is pretty fast at this hour, 1 a.m.

My SG F1 pass for Friday 24th Sept 2010

The pass we have is an All Zones Access pass, there's 4 zones in total and will be given to us daily because 1 pass can only be use on that day itself. I didn't follow the group to the racing circuit in the afternoon because I have to meet up with my sister and have dinner with my brother-in-law, my mum, niece and nephew. Family comes first :p We went to Jumbo at NSRCC Safra Resort. Will post about that later.

After the dinner, my bro-in-law dropped me at Tanah Merah MRT station. I then took the MRT to Lavendar station which is the station to get to Gate 1 of Singapore F1 Circuit. It's very convenient because there will be shuttle bus just outside the station to fetch the guests to Gate 1. Gate 1 has Village Stage which Missy Elliot just performed.

An antique Porshe race car.

I reached around 10.45 pm and there's still some crowd but not too crowded. Went to find my seat at the Pit Stop Grandstand. Which means we can see the pit stops from the Grand Stand. Not bad, not bad. This afternoon (Saturday) the organizer of this trip will try to arrange us to visit the pit stop of Lotus F1 team. Fingers crossed.

Can see Singapore Flyer from my seat.

Pit Stops opposite our Grand Stand

It's already 11 p.m.

I borrowed my sister's Panasonic Lumix, hence can do 16:9 picture

Of course except for the main event, the F1 racing of course. There will also be performances.

Brazil Brazil doing the late night singing.

Adam Lambert performing tonight 23:30-00:30 at Padang Stage Zone 4

He'll be performing again on the race day on Sunday evening, 17:40-18:40.

Diva Mariah Carey will be performing at Padang Stage Zone 4 from 22:30-00:00

Okay. I'll have to rest now for a busy day and night today (Saturday). VROOM!! I will of course support our very own Lotus F1 Team.