Phew! This might well be the only working week of the year that we wish was even longer. Anything to give our bodies more time to recover after last weekend’s excess. But weekends are like buses. You wait forever for them to come along, then two come along in quick succession. Also because when they do, you find yourself either short of money or else heading down a road that you know isn’t right.So the F1 circus has been and gone for another year (leaving behind enough spilt champagne to fill your average rooftop infinity pool), leaving us to ponder what we learnt this time around. We spent our time jumping from venue to venue, mocking the insincerity of it all, and wondering why we weren’t on everyone’s automatic invite list. Along the way, we scribbled some random observations on the back of our press pass*:The word “Official” has lost all meaning. Official lounge. Official giveaway. Official timekeeper. Sure, Singapore likes bureaucracy as much as the next country, but enough with the officialdom, people.Drivers have to make their pre-course inspection on bicycles or scooters. Just lend them a car, already!F1 fever really is catching. Taxi drivers, bus drivers, that old guy on the scooter. Was there a single person behind the wheel who didn’t drive a little bit more recklessly over the weekend?In this town, only schoolkids party on schoolnights. When Santigold picked members of the crowd to join her on stage at Avalon on Thursday night it looked like a Harry Potter audition. Where were all the grown-ups? And please don’t say you were getting an early night “to get ready for the weekend.” Thursday night is the weekend.No-one looks good in earplugs. No, not even you.Singapore is not Monaco. We hear some people have us confused: Both F1 street circuits, both little nations a law unto ourselves. But we’re still way behind in the glamour stakes. Not convinced? Try to imagine James Bond visiting either of our casinos, while the hot local girl on his arm queues up to pay the $100 entry fee.* Access to specified areas only. No access to Pit Building, Paddock, Paddock Club and Restricted Areas (including, but not limited to, the parties with the hottest models, anywhere with real cocktails and seats with unimpeded views of the race track).
