AS you most probably know by now, Singapore will debut this year as the third country in Asia to host a Formula One Grand Prix—the first two being Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur, 1999) and China (Shanghai, 2004).

                Because it is the world’s most prestigious, glamorous and sought-after race in motor-sports history, Formula One—or F1—is the ultimate dream of every country to have it hosted on its home soil.

                I will cover Singapore’s F1 debut on September 28 upon the invite of Toyota Motors Philippines, making it my third stint in a Formula One race. (By God’s grace, I should be in Singapore already as you are reading this.)

                My first F1 coverage was in 1999, when Ford brought me to Kuala Lumpur for F1’s debut at the Sepang F1 Circuit in Kuala Lumpur.  The second was in 2001, also in Kuala Lumpur, with Honda’s Arnel Doria and Tintin Reyes as my hosts.

                Both trips proved memorable as every F1 event is a guaranteed milestone for every spectator given the chance to watch it live—especially so if you are a guest of a major player in the super-exclusive Formula One family.

                As an F1 guest, not only do you get to have exclusive visits to the usually off-limits pit area, you also get to shake hands and have a chat with the top F1 participants—such as the leaders and their main rivals for the overall crown in the ongoing season.

                F1 drivers are among the superstars in world sports for the sheer amount of money they stash away each year.  At one time, Michael Schumacher, the seven-time world F1 champion, was the world’s highest-paid and therefore richest athlete—richer even than golf megastar Tiger Woods.

SINCE Giuseppe Farina of Italy won the birth of F1 in 1950 in Silverstone, the United Kingdom, proceeding to become world champion, Formula One has rapidly evolved to become the undisputed king of motor racing.  Through the years it has become the Vatican, the Taj Mahal and the Mount Everest of high-octane car speed.

                So fast are the cars that you actually see them almost flying, their tires seemingly up two inches from the ground at full speed.

                And these cars have engines so powerful they travel mostly at 350 kph when in full throttle!

                Well, if you have an engine that costs normally $1 million to complete, you can expect your car to virtually fly no less.

                As expected, overall leader Lewis Hamilton of McLaren-Mercedes will tow his rivals today into testing the surface of the Singapore raceway, using dry as well as wet (when it rains, of course) tires. 

                Hamilton, a 23-year-old Briton, who missed history last year when, as the overall leader, he bungled winning the crown in his first attempt through a costly error in the season’s last run, is a mere point ahead (78 to 77) of the second-running Brazilian Felipe Massa of Ferrari (see related F1 story in this issue).

                In third with 64 is Polish Robert Kubica aboard a BMW-Sauber and fourth is defending champion Kimi Raikkonen (57), the Ferrari-riding Finn. In fifth is German Nick Heidfeld, 25 points behind at 53 in a BMW-Sauber.

                The rest of the top 10 with four legs to go are No. 6 Heikki Kovalainen (Finland), 51 points in a McLaren-Mercedes; No. 7 Fernando Alonso (Spain), 28 points in a Renault; No. 8 Jarno Trulli (Italy), 26 points in a Toyota; No. 9 Sebastian Vettel (Germany), 23 points in an STR-Ferrari; and Mark Webber (Australia), 20 points in a Red Bull-Renault.

                Every F1 leg winner is given 10 points, runner-up 8, third 6, fourth 5, fifth 4, sixth 3, seventh 2 and eighth 1.

IN my previous trips to F1 events, I’ve had extremely memorable conversations with former world champions Mika Hakkinen and Jackie Stewart, and, yes, Schumacher himself. Those KL brushes with racing legends have been etched forever in the slum book of my mind.

                And, yes, as an F1 guest, it is customary for you to be seated in choice areas that offer you a virtual ringside view of the event—complete with amenities like sipping wine and munching cheese leisurely as you watch the cars flit by you like a whiff of wind. A big-screen, LCD TV monitor in the VIP lounge also gives you a blow-by-blow account of the race.

                Work for me in this singular honor of witnessing history unfold in Singapore actually starts with my coverage of the practice runs for the Formula One starting field of 22 set for today from 7 pm to 11 pm.

                More practice runs are scheduled for Saturday from 7 pm to 8 pm. The race for pole position begins at 10 pm on the same day.

                The actual F1 run is on September 28, beginning eight p.m.

                The biggest thrill is, while the Singapore leg will feature the same street race that Monaco stages yearly, the Lion City will likewise host the first-ever night race in Formula One.  Just imagine how many floodlights they will deploy to make night appear like day during the three-day event.

                Also, the Singapore F1 leg is to be run anticlockwise, making it a bit of a challenge to our drivers used to the clockwise circuits in the previous 14 legs.

                Indeed, the suspense is killing me. I can’t wait to cover it—yet again. 

Pee stop.  Congratulations to Mr. Henry So Uy, who was recently promoted deputy CEO of Philippine Airlines. One of his initial assignments is to oversee the refurbishing of PAL’s major line of fleet—“at a cost of $12 million for each jet!”

THE official arrival for China-made vehicles was last year, when Chery Cars made a splash with their fuel-efficient yet affordable “econo-mobiles.” But a new kid in the China camp—Chana—made itself known during summer’s Manila International Auto Show, with its Benni subcompact car. Can it transcend the currently negative image of locally available China cars?

SUPERCHARGED!

That’s the way they described the new lineup of vehicles Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. (TMPC) launched on Monday at the A. Venue on Makati Avenue.

There’s still hope for a green world

PEOPLE have witnessed heat waves in Paris and the UK, a tsunami in Phuket, droughts and floods in Eastern Africa, monsoons in India, snow in Buffalo, El Niño in Southeast Asia, receding glaciers in the Himalayas, as well as recent hurricanes and earthquakes all over the globe.

IF the success of the recent Petron E10 Premium Run held on September 17 and 18 would be used as a gauge, then the newest biofuel-compliant product of one of the biggest local oil companies is expected to be a hit with motorists in the next few weeks.

AS you most probably know by now, Singapore will debut this year as the third country in Asia to host a Formula One Grand Prix—the first two being Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur, 1999) and China (Shanghai, 2004).

WHAT’S with Formula One?  Why does everybody talk about it? What makes it click?

From the man in the street to the corporate exec, from the CEO to the tycoon, F1—particularly the race in Singapore—would be on their lips from today, Friday up to Sunday, when the 14th leg of the World F1 Championship finally roars off to its much-ballyhooed hoopla.