The race was on in Singapore. From my temporary hideout on the 56th floor at Swissôtel, Stamford Road, I saw more than a dozen brightly tinted flecks of red, blue and green careening through the streets of Marina Bay at breakneck speed.

Everyone knew the Formula One weekend was in full swing, because the noise was ear-shattering, quake-inducing and unrelenting.“Animals!” my roommate howled from under her pillow. “Don’t they know it’s 4pm? I need to get some beauty sleep before hitting the party scene tonight!”

I peered down at the beautiful skyline, with the über futuristic Esplanade on my left, the phallic skyscrapers towering to my right and the shipping port directly ahead, and I had to agree. These hot rods are animals. They pause at nothing €” sharp 90° bends included - and sound like giant super-mosquitoes, post-radiation.

But it takes an animal this extraordinary to make a grown man weep (especially during Ferrari’s now infamous blunder on race day), and in Singapore’s case, send over 100,000 sane beings from all four corners of the globe clamouring for a piece of the action, no matter the cost.

In the week leading up to F1, as the rich and famous descended upon this tiny island republic, the values of hotel rooms with vantage views had tripled or more, and tickets to the race had skyrocketed (fans were reported to have shelled out S$1,000/RM2,386 for S$298/RM711 tickets). Meanwhile, the festivities were flamboyant - six Playboy Playmates were specially flown in for a club event.

And because the circuit was smack in the heart of the metropolis, Singapore was abuzz with ways to gatecrash the F1’s first ever night race.

Race day saw just how outrageous, and futile, some of these tactics were: the precious view atop the bridge was jealously guarded by special armed forces, for instance, so loiterers were reprimanded on sight. And forget the stairwells of the office towers, for the authorities cleverly obstructed views there with oversized banners.

Those who had their plans foiled had their pictures splashed on the tabloids the next day, heads hung in defeat and embarrassment. Nothing comes free in this world, and the race certainly wasn’t an exception.

Street wise“Aiyah, this is what I want to avoid,” lamented my taxi driver, Ah Ming, gesturing at the traffic, which was at a standstill. “It will be worse on race day! I’m too old for this!”

For all its hype, a large percentage of the population seemed impervious to F1. Nonetheless, the Singaporean authorities were quick to point out that this wasn’t just any race. It was going to be the country’s defining moment, a time to showcase its gargantuan accomplishments to an estimated 500 million pair of watchful eyes from around the world.

Unsurprisingly, the 5.076km street circuit was built to impress. Not only did it consist of 24 tricky corners that wound through Singapore’s most iconic landmarks, it was also just one of three races in the 2008 F1 calendar to run anti-clockwise.

There were, however, a number of challenges to contend with: 85% of the roads were used daily, so track resurfacing needed to endure the extreme punishment from F1 cars as well as the daily usage of vehicles. Then there was the endless talk of torrential rain, which, fortunately, didn’t happen. But if it did, the street circuit had reportedly been equipped with non-reflective technology, so light would not reflect from surface puddles.

Meanwhile, lighting also had to be impeccable. Singapore opted for 2,000-watt halide bulbs, which are four times stronger than a football stadium’s. The system was carefully fitted around the protected “heritage” trees, to prevent any unnecessary uprooting.When night fell, Marina Bay transformed into a pulsating city all aglow, prompting F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone to dub Singapore as “the jewel in the crown of F1”.

To the outsider, it may seem like Singapore is making a worthy investment by agreeing to splash S$150mil (RM357.8mil) annually to play host. However, many citizens are doubtful about how long this buzz will last. China and Australia look like potential competitors in the years to come, as both are considering switching to racing under the floodlights.

Many Singaporeans chose to steer clear of the hullabaloo by holing themselves in. Middle-class suburbia became the only tranquil spot left in the city.“Drive a few kilometres out of the city, and it is as if F1 hadn’t arrived at all,” Ah Ming said. “I like F1, but no Singaporean in his right mind would spend all that money to watch a few cars go by. One second, and it’s gone. No value for money at all! That’s why I’ll be rooting for Ferrari at home. My gut feeling tells me Felipe Massa will win this year.”

May the best man win-Who really is this diminutive Brazilian with such big shoes to fill? For much of his first few seasons in F1, he set his sights on the finish line and ignored all the bad-mouthing that inevitably came along with being the new, over-enthusiastic kid on the block.

It took several years, a few near-collisions and ounces of bad luck before the media gave Massa the credit he deserved. After all, not many drivers are capable of giving Michael Schumacher a hard time on the tracks, and this was what Massa did in the German’s final season in 2006.

And save for Singapore, things seem to be going his way for 2008.“He’s the nice one. His teammate Kimi Raikkonen is the wild party animal. I think together they make an awesome team,” my friend said with a deadpan expression.

“But if you’re going to interview them, at least wear a bikini and make Kimi’s day. Or else he won’t talk. I’ve seen him on TV, and he’s terrible at PR! Not Massa though!”

In the motorsport world of fat paychecks and even fatter egos, Massa remains simple, almost innocent.Perhaps it was his shorts and sneakers, or maybe even his bumbling schoolboy demeanour, but my first impression was that Massa had a certain charm about him. Having the friendship and backing from one of the world’s most renowned racers doesn’t hurt either.

“I still speak to Michael (Schumacher). In fact, I tell him more things than I do with Kimi. We swap stories on our love lives and such,” Massa revealed. “But even though Kimi doesn’t say much, it doesn’t mean we can’t work together. He’s just not someone I will call up on a whim late at night.”

Massa, who hails from Sao Paulo, speaks with a lilting Portuguese accent. The city’s motto is Non ducor, duco, which translates as “I am not led, I lead” €” which is fitting seeing as how Massa is now only second in line to the 2008 title after race prodigy Lewis Hamilton.

“The people drive very fast where I come from. They are also known to be hard workers. Maybe that’s why I’m in F1. The very first car I owned was a slow and small Fiat Palio. But Ferrari has always been my dream car. I think it’s the same for 99% of people.”