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If you want entertainment on the main stage on the Padang and good racing I’d recommend the Stamford Grandstand between turns 7 and 8 and its probably about the best part of the track for overtaking. Have sat there a couple of times including last year and was able to get Queen with Adam Lambert after qualies well before they started playing. Hospitality is nice, but I wouldn’t actually pay the prices they charge (have had it for free in the past but that’s another story).
The threat of rain, and very, very major rain at that, has always hung over the Singapore F1 the country being 1 degree 15 N of the equator. Last five years rain before first practice in a couple years and at threat of towards of the end of the 2012 race I think it was (clouds started to obscure tops of the skyscrapers in CBD and you could feel droplets in the air). The issue is if there is one of the not too infrequent massive storms this city gets, ala the one yesterday (Thurs) around 4 – 5pm, on the Sunday that is it the GP is dead and gone, short of putting the cars on monster truck tires forget it. If it does start to rain and you are in a stand would suggest legging it to somewhere under cover as quickly as possible – largely to beat the thousands who will inevitably follow you. Touch wood its not rained during the sessions yet in any major way – may the local rumors of cloud seeding in the run up to the race are true – who knows!
I am someone else who was going to suggest Melbourne, also been to it three times (I live in Singapore so its a wee bit nearer to be fair) good atmosphere, in the city, great place etc etc.
Slightly nearer I would recommend Singapore (my 6th race coming up shortly, missed the first year) as again its a city race superb atmosphere, lots of stuff going on etc. Racing wise not really the best to be fair but being under the lights the big city backdrop etc does make it rather cool. It is though expensive both in terms of tickets and accommodation (as a guide a pit lane grandstand is double the price of Melbourne).
The one I would recommend if you have serious taste for the exotic and full on motorsports fandom is Japan. Again quite far from the UK, but its a spectacular circuit especially if choose the right stand. Its reasonably accessible from Nagoya or even Kyoto as I did. Superb atmosphere, fantastic circuit, seeing and hearing Kamui get third in 2012 was priceless (I must go back!) Again though not cheap, but not as bad as you might expect.
Not from personal experience but a business contact who is a huge F1 fan and has been to S’pore, Malaysia, Monaco, Spa etc said he we Abu Dhabi first race and would’t go back.
Living and working in Singapore I would recommend looking at the Park Royal Hotel on Beach Road – I happen to work in the office building attached to it and have attended the last three F1 races in Singapore.
Its not the flashiest hotel by a long shot, but actually one of the closest to the paddock – a 10 min walk or so – and great for turns 1,2 & 3. Force India stayed there in 2011 and you’d see the engineers walking off to the track at 2pm plus, as did the Pirelli people and I believe the BBC crew – pretty sure I saw a rather sweaty looking Martin Brundle. In 2010 Virgin Racing stayed there.
