Of Tires and Fires: A Day at the FORMULA 1 MALAYSIAN GRAND PRIX 2016
Sunday October 2nd 2016 • Sepang International Circuit, Kuala Lumpur
"Tengok lesen, dik*..."
*"let's see your license, son..." Speeding, are we? Naughty naughty!
It's neither the polo nor Royal Ascot but sometimes I entertain out-of-towners in Kuala Lumpur by taking them to the Malaysian Grand Prix. For the last three weeks I was in town to get my fix of all things home (the moment I land in London - tomorrow morning, actually - I'm being grounded for up to six months) and so were a couple of friends from New Zealand who also happened to be motorheads. As befitting of Malaysian hospitality, I invited them to watch the Kuala Lumpur leg of Formula 1 from the grandstands of Sepang International Circuit.
I've always maintained that the GP would be so much more entertaining if the drivers' helmets were filled with live bees, but Formula 1 won't have any of that. Instead, I usually contend myself by complaining about the eardrum-stabbing abuse of the cars as they slice by, but even that pleasure has been taken from me ever since quieter electronic engines have been introduced.
As with every GP I've attended, the more exciting aspects of the race come afterward - whether at the afterparties (take your pick: Johnnie Walker Black Circuit Lounge, the gala dinner, or...Usher) or in the recap. Of course the highlight of the race had to happen the moment I got up from my seat and left to buy an overpriced beer - Lewis Hamilton's hopes going up in smoke as his engine caught fire (right in front of my vantage point in the Crystal Grandstand, too!) leaving Daniel Ricciardo a shoe-in to claim the top position for Red Bull. This unexpected turn certainly put the thunder in Down Under - the raucous 'kangaroo court' behind me waved their shoes and thongs (flip flops, ahem) in the style of their Australian idol, roaring: "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! Oi oi oi!"
The Kiwi Contingency: both first-timers to the Malaysian Grand Prix, courtesy of me. Because friends don't let friends miss Formula 1 when its on in one's home city...
READY...
STEADY...
...GO!
Let's be real, most people don't watch the GP live to catch every little detail - that's what the live coverage and slow-motion playback is for. Instead, they turn out in droves hoping a) to find themselves lucky enough to catch some drama in action - in this instance, Hamilton's car catching fire right in front of my section, b) for the atmosphere, because nothing puts you in the mood like RM20 beers, and c) the chance that their team/country secures a victory (and more importantly, an exucse to thump chests then climb out to the paddock while your hero downs celebratory champagne to the national anthem).
Something's afoot: Ricciardo fans (or maybe just party-happy Aussies) toe the line by waving their footwear in tribute to Daniel Ricciardo's (frankly stomach-churning) post-win ritual of drinking champagne from his shoe.
The hordes swarm out onto the paddock and toward the podium to celebrate - or commiserate. The sight of which I've always found both parts equally jubilant and unnervingly primal.
All in all, it was a reasonably interesting Sunday made bearable by the relatively-pleasant October weather compared to the punishing humidity and heat of March. How serendipitous it was, the timing and the schedule change of this year's Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix - a nice 'bye for now' before leaving KL.