|
LOBSTER to whet the appetite, milk-fed veal for dinner and free flow of Mumm champagne - sprayed by drivers on the podium after Formula 1 Grands Prix - to quench the thirst.
For the main course, the choicest view of the history-making SingTel Singapore Grand Prix - the sport's first night race.
All for $7,500 a person.
That is how much a three-day admission to the exclusive Paddock Club will cost, according to Singapore GP, which yesterday put on sale corporate hospitality packages for the Sept 28 race.
It hopes to sell some 15,000 tickets for the hospitality suites. The event will allow for 80,000 spectators, and general ticket sales will begin late next month.
While the prices for the other hospitality packages range from $3,500 to $6,500 a person, the Paddock Club - located above the teams' garages - is the best on offer.
It is the only one that allows guests to visit the pit area on scheduled tours to get a close-up experience of F1 racing.
However, only 4,000 people will get to enjoy this luxury and maybe a chance to mix with drivers, and even celebrities from around the world.
With teams and sponsors getting first bite, Singapore GP media and communications director Jonathan Hallett warned that tickets were very limited.
'There is very strong worldwide interest, given that this will be the first night race,' he stressed.
Paddock Club prices for last season's races hovered around the $6,200 mark.
Singapore's is understandably more expensive, added Hallett, and not just because of the novelty of a night race.
'Because this is a street circuit, we have to build from scratch the structures that house the suites.
'Other circuits house the Paddock Club in permanent buildings.'
The close proximity of top-end hotels such as The Fullerton also means that guests of the corporate suites can expect a 'higher level' of catering.
There are slightly cheaper options for companies and the rich, offering equally impressive views of the race, minus the pit tours.
There are air-conditioned suites above the premier grandstand, letting viewers stare down the pit straight into the pit lane.
There are suites located opposite the pit-lane entrances and exits, giving a better look at cars as they slow down.
Suites are also positioned at the first three turns of the race, where cars will try to overtake each other.
All the suites have outdoor viewing areas that hang over the track.
Given that the race is held in the heart of Singapore, it allows companies to offer their clients a unique experience.
More importantly, the hospitality packages help defray the costs of the general tickets, which are expected to start from $275 for a three-day pass to the race.
hafiz@sph.com.sg
|
