Kash's Stats and Memories: Best F1 Drivers from races I've seen live (16 before Singapore GP 2022)

 So you know I like to talk about some stats and also some past memories so I thought, why not mix them all up into one thing. And with the Singapore GP back after a 2 year hiatus this weekend, why not do a fun little thing about the races I've seen live in action and which drivers have done the best when I'm there!

#1 F1 Singapore Grand Prix 2011

• Race Winner: #1 Sebastian Vettel - Red Bull (Started 1st)
• Podium: #4 Jenson Button (McLaren) & #2 Mark Webber (Red Bull)
• Pole: Sebastian Vettel - Red Bull - 1:44.381s
• Fastest Lap: Jenson Button - McLaren - 1:48.454s on lap 54
• My Viewing spot for the race: Turn 13 Viewing Platform
• Notes:
• The first race for me!
• Had Jenson Button not finished 2nd, Sebastian Vettel would have clinched his 2nd world championship in Singapore with 5 races still left to go
• Best result of the year for Paul di Resta (6th)
• This was Vettel's 19th win in F1

#2 F1 Australian Grand Prix 2012

• Race Winner: #3 Jenson Button - McLaren (Started 2nd)
• Podium: #1 Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) & #4 Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
• Pole: Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) - 1:24.922
• Fastest Lap: Jenson Button (McLaren) - 1:29.187 on lap 56
• My Viewing spot for the race: Schumacher Stand at Turns 15 and 16
• Notes:
• F1 debut for Jean-Éric Vergne and Charles Pic
• First F1 race in 39 years not to feature an Italian driver
• First ever F1 race to feature 6 F1 world champions on the starting grid (Schumacher, Vettel, Hamilton, Alonso, Button and Raikkonen)
• This was Button's 13th win in F1

#3 F1 Singapore Grand Prix 2012

• Race Winner: #1 Sebastian Vettel - Red Bull (Started 3rd)
• Podium: #3 Jenson Button (McLaren) & #5 Fernando Alonso (Ferrari)
• Pole: Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) - 1:46.362
• Fastest Lap: Nico Hülkenberg (Force India) - 1:51.033 on lap 52
• My Viewing spot for the race: Turn 8 Viewing Platform
• Notes:
• Vettel's win meant he had jumped two places in the standings to 2nd, cutting the gap to Alonso to 29 points with 5 races left go go
• Hamilton was leading the race before a gearbox failure
• First race to finish before the full amount of laps were completed due to reaching the 2 hour limit, the first time since 2008 Monaco GP
• Best ever F1 result for Paul di Resta (4th)
• This was Vettel's 23rd win in F1

#4 F1 Malaysian Grand Prix 2013

• Race Winner: #1 Sebastian Vettel - Red Bull (Started 3rd)
• Podium: #2 Mark Webber (Red Bull) & #10 Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
• Pole: Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) - 1:49.674
• Fastest Lap: Sergio Pérez (McLaren) - 1:39.199 on lap 56
• My Viewing spot for the race: Grandstand F (Turns 5 to 8)
• Notes:
• This race was the one with the infamous multi 2-1 controversy. Vettel was told to stay behind team-mate Webber and not fight him for the win. He ignored team orders to take the win.
• Lewis Hamilton scores his first of (as of writing) 139 podiums for Mercedes
• This was Vettel's 27th win in F1

#5 F1 Singapore Grand Prix 2013

• Race Winner: #1 Sebastian Vettel - Red Bull (Started 1st)
• Podium: #3 Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) & #7 Kimi Räikkönen (Lotus)
• Pole: Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) - 1:42.841
• Fastest Lap: Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) - 1:48.574 on lap 46
• My Viewing spot for the race: Viewing Platform at Turns 22 & 23
• Notes:
• Vettel scored only his 3rd Grand Slam (Pole, led all laps, fastest lap and win)
• First Singapore GP without the infamous Singapore Sling, now changed to a single corner
• Never thought my final picture of Mark Webber in F1 competition would be on a Ferrari haha! Alonso gave him a ride back after his car failed on him on the last lap
• This was Vettel's 33rd win in F1, and the 3rd of 9 straight wins, a record in F1!

#6 F1 Australian Grand Prix 2014

• Race Winner: #6 Nico Rosberg - Mercedes (Started 3rd)
• Podium: #20 Kevin Magnussen (McLaren) and #22 Jenson Button (McLaren)
• Pole: Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) - 1:44.231
• Fastest Lap: Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) - 1:32.478 on lap 19
• My Viewing spot for the race: Fangio Grandstand (Start/Finish straight)
• Notes:
• This was the first race of the new turbocharged V6 hybrid era of F1
• Also the first race with the new ruling of drivers running with a fixed number for the rest of their F1 careers and not having numbers based on team's previous finish
• F1 debuts for Kevin Magnussen, Daniil Kvyat and Marcus Ericsson. Magnussen and Kvyat both scored points on debut, with Magnussen scoring his best ever F1 result (2nd), podium on debut, the first since Lewis Hamilton back in 2007
• Jenson Button scored his final podium finish in F1 after Daniel Ricciardo's disqualification 
• This was Rosberg's 4th win in F1

#7 F1 Singapore Grand Prix 2014

• Race Winner: #44 Lewis Hamilton - Mercedes (Started 1st)
• Podium: #1 Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) & #3 Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull)
• Pole: Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) - 1.45.681
• Fastest Lap: Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) - 1:50.417 on lap 39
• My Viewing spot for the race: Viewing Platform at Turns 22 & 23
• Notes:
• This was to be the last race Jules Bianchi would finish before his tragic accident at the next race in Suzuka, Japan. He succumbed to his injuries from that race 9 months later
• Best results of the season for Vettel (2nd) and Vergne (6th)
• This was Hamilton's 29th win in F1

#8 F1 Malaysian Grand Prix 2015

• Race Winner: #5 Sebastian Vettel - Ferrari (Started 2nd)
• Podium: #44 Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) & #6 Nico Rosberg (Mercedes)
• Pole: Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) - 1:49.834
• Fastest Lap: Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) - 1:42.062 on lap 43
• My Viewing spot for the race: K1 Grandstand (Main Straight, Turns 1 to 3)
• Notes:
• Vettel took his first of 14 wins for Ferrari in Malaysia
• Three drivers all scored their best F1 results at that point in this race, Bottas (5th), Verstappen (7th) and Sainz (8th)
• Max Verstappen became the youngest ever F1 point scorer with his 7th place finish at 17 years 180 days
• This was Vettel's 40th win in F1, his first since his 9 race win streak at the end of 2013

#9 F1 Singapore Grand Prix 2015

• Race Winner: #5 Sebastian Vettel - Ferrari (Started 1st)
• Podium: #3 Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull) & #7 Kimi Räikkönen (Ferrari)
• Pole: Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) - 1:43.885
• Fastest Lap: Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull) - 1:50.041 on lap 52
• My Viewing spot for the race: Bay Grandstand (Turn 18)
• Notes:
• Alexander Rossi made his F1 debut in Singapore in place of Roberto Mehri, the first American to race in F1 since Scott Speed back in 2006
• Ricciardo scored his best result of the season at this race (2nd)
• The only race all season that neither Mercedes were on the front row and the only non-Mercedes pole position in all of 2015
• A drunk man walked on track to bring out a safety car. Don't do that people.
• This was Vettel's 42nd win in F1, moving past the legendary Ayrton Senna's total of 41 to put him 3rd on his own on the all time wins list at that time

#10 F1 Japanese Grand Prix 2015

• Race Winner: #44 Lewis Hamilton - Mercedes (Started 2nd)
• Podium: #6 Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) & #5 Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)
• Pole: Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) - 1:32.584
• Fastest Lap: Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) - 1:36.145 on lap 33
• My Viewing spot for the race: Grandstand I (Turns 10 & 11)
• Notes:
• My 10th race and the first that isn't in Singapore, Australia or Malaysia which I thought was pretty cool. Hoping to go back to Suzuka sometime in the near future
• Max Verstappen stopped his car in front of me during practice and Daniil Kvyat's Red Bull crashed and did a barrel roll in front of me at Turn 10 during qualifying as well
• The first race since the 2011 European Grand Prix where all cars that started the race finished the race
• This was the race featuring the famous "GP2 engine" radio comment by Fernando Alonso
• This was Hamilton's 41st win in F1, tying the number of his idol Ayrton Senna of 41 wins (at that time to be joint 4th most) as well at the track he won all 3 of his world championships

#11 F1 Singapore Grand Prix 2016

• Race Winner: #6 Nico Rosberg - Mercedes (Started 1st)
• Podium: #3 Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull) & #44 Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
• Pole: Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) - 1:42.584
• Fastest Lap: Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull) - 1:47.187 on lap 49
• My Viewing spot for the race: Viewing Platform at Turns 22 & 23
• Notes:
• Fernando Alonso did a few laps in practice with the halo, one of the first times it was trailed in an actual F1 running before it's introduction in 2018
• In a weird case of luck, I stood at a place where usually I can see the 19th and 20th qualifiers on the starting grid and somehow Sebastian Vettel had a penalty that weekend which meant he was directly in front of me as the race started. Lucky break I guess.
• This was Rosberg's 22nd win in F1, which was also his 200th F1 start. It were to be his second to last win in F1 before retiring at the end of the season

#12 F1 Singapore Grand Prix 2017

• Race Winner: #44 Lewis Hamilton - Mercedes (Started 5th)
• Podium: #3 Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull) & #77 Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
• Pole: Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) - 1:39.491
• Fastest Lap: Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) - 1:45.008 on lap 55
• My Viewing spot for the race: Esplanade Waterfront Grandstand (Turns 16, 17 & 18)
• Notes:
• You know this race. One of my favourite moments in all of F1. The two Ferrari cars starting at the front actually crashing into each other at the start! I loved it, since I'm not a fan of that lot.
• This was the first ever wet night race in F1 history, rain hit the track 20 minutes before race started and caused all sorts of chaos in the race
• Best F1 finishes for 3 drivers in this race, Carlos Sainz (4th), Joylon Palmer (6th) and Stoffel Vandoorne (7th). It would turn out to be the best F1 finish for both Palmer and Vandoorne in their short F1 careers.
• This was Hamilton's 60th win in F1

#13 F1 Malaysian Grand Prix 2017

• Race Winner: #33 Max Verstappen - Red Bull (Started 3rd)
• Podium: #44 Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) & #3 Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull)
• Pole: Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) - 1:30.076
• Fastest Lap: Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) - 1:34.080 on lap 41
• My Viewing spot for the race: K1 Grandstand (Main Straight, Turns 1 to 3)
• Notes:
• This was to be the last Malaysian Grand Prix for F1
• Pierre Gasly made his F1 debut in place of Daniil Kvyat
• Kimi Räikkönen was due to start 2nd in the race but his car had a battery failure that ended his race even before the start
• This was Verstappen's 2nd F1 win, a day after his 20th birthday

#14 F1 Australian Grand Prix 2018

• Race Winner: #5 Sebastian Vettel - Ferrari (Started 3rd)
• Podium: #44 Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) & #7 Kimi Räikkönen (Ferrari)
• Pole: Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) - 1:21.164
• Fastest Lap: Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull) -1:25.945 on lap 54
• My Viewing spot for the race: Brabham Grandstand (Turns 1 & 2)
• Notes:
• Fun little not here but this was the first time I watched back to back F1 races with neither being the Singapore Grand Prix
• This was the first F1 race to feature the new halo system
• Charles Leclerc and Sergey Sirotkin made their F1 debuts
• Best result of the season for Alonso (5th)
• This was Vettel's 48th win in F1. Vettel also scored his 100th podium finish in F1 in this race.

#15 F1 Singapore Grand Prix 2018

• Race Winner: #44 Lewis Hamilton - Mercedes (Started 1st)
• Podium: #33 Max Verstappen (Red Bull) & #5 Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)
• Pole: Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) - 1:36.015
• Fastest Lap: Kevin Magnussen (Haas) - 1:41.905 on lap 50
• My Viewing spot for the race: Stamford Grandstand (Turns 7 & 8)
• Notes:
• First fastest lap recorded by Kevin Magnussen, which was also the first fastest lap for his team Haas
• Liam Gallagher had a concert here! He's my favourite singer so that was awesome to catch
• This was Hamilton's 69th win in F1 (nice)

#16 F1 Singapore Grand Prix 2019

• Race Winner: #5 Sebastian Vettel - Ferrari (Started 3rd)
• Podium: #16 Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) & #33 Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
• Pole: Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 1:36.217
• Fastest Lap: Kevin Magnussen (Haas) - 1:42.301 on lap 58
• My Viewing spot for the race: Stamford Grandstand (Turns 7 & 8)
• Notes:
• For only the second time ever, Kevin Magnussen and Haas both got a fastest lap to their names, both happening in Singapore in back to back years
• Antonio Giovinazzi briefly lead the race, making him the first driver not driving a Mercedes, Ferrari or Red Bull to lead a race since Bottas did for Williams at the 2015 British Grand Prix. Also the first time Alfa Romeo lead an F1 race since 1983
• This was sadly my last time using my favourite Nikon camera which I used to take all the pictures you see on this entry. My camera was damaged months after this race by renovation workers
• This was Vettel's 53rd win in F1, and likely his last F1 race win having announced his retirement at the end of this year. He sits 3rd in the all time winner's list, behind Michael Schumacher (91) and Lewis Hamilton (103).

I'm excited to get back to Marina Bay street circuit to catch my 17th Formula One race live this weekend. And I wonder which race will be the 18th. I have applied tickets for a familiar place I've not been to in a while (not true, I was there for reasons not named F1 last time out, it was for Pokemon). And then after that, where's the next new races I might go to? 

My cousin and I were talking about possibly going to Barcelona if I do decide to visit her in Edinburgh next year. And there's still races I have yet to visit like Montreal, A1-Ring, Silverstone, Spa, one of the 3 US races possibly, maybe a return to Suzuka. Most likely another go in Singapore. We'll see what the future holds.

And now for the fun stats:

Most wins by a driver at races I watched live

1. Sebastian Vettel - 8 wins
2. Lewis Hamilton - 4 wins
3. Nico Rosberg - 2 wins
4. Jenson Button - 1 win
5. Max Verstappen - 1 win

Yeah I've only seen 5 drivers win in the 16 races I've been to. If Max doesn't win this weekend which we all expect him to, there could be a 6th on the way if it's not Hamilton. Vettel has won the half the races I've been to which is kinda crazy. Sure the first half was him during his dominant Red Bull era but the other half were with Ferrari! Maybe it's also appropriate I got to see his last F1 win as well. I'm still happy I got to see a Jenson Button win live in person for only my 2nd ever race.

Most wins by a team at races I watched live

1. Mercedes - 6 wins
2. Red Bull - 5 wins
3. Ferrari - 4 wins
4. McLaren - 1 win

Not a surprise, Mercedes and Red Bull have been dominating the era where I got to go watch a few F1 races live. All 4 of Ferrari wins were thanks to the most winningest driver I've seen, Vettel. And hey at least I got to see my favourite team win once before, my first overseas race in Melbourne, which my favourite at that time, Jenson Button, won the damn thing!

Most podiums by a driver at races I watched live

1. Sebastian Vettel - 12 podiums
2. Lewis Hamilton - 10 podiums
3. Daniel Ricciardo - 5 podiums
4. Jenson Button - 4 podiums
5. Nico Rosberg - 4 podiums
6. Kimi Räikkönen - 3 podiums
7. Max Verstappen - 3 podiums
8. Fernando Alonso - 2 podiums
9. Valtteri Bottas - 1 podium
10. Charles Leclerc - 1 podium
11. Kevin Magnussen - 1 podium

Apart from Magnussen, no real surprise podiums here. Maybe the biggest would be Alonso with only 2 podiums since he was still doing well with Ferrari during that time. I got to see my guys Ricciardo and Button do well a few times so that was nice. And hey I was there to see Magnussen get his one and only F1 podium so far, on his F1 debut no less. But yeah it shows that apart from the 2014 Australian GP, I've not really seen that many crazy results live. Sad.

Most podiums by a team at races I watched live

1. Red Bull - 16 podiums
2. Mercedes - 14 podiums
3. Ferrari - 11 podiums
4. McLaren - 6 podiums
5. Lotus - 1 podium

Again, no real surprise results here. Red Bull and Mercedes have dominated the era I got to watch racing live.

Most poles by a driver at races I watched live

1. Lewis Hamilton - 8 poles
2. Sebastian Vettel - 5 poles
3. Nico Rosberg - 2 poles
4. Charles Leclerc - 1 pole

Most poles by a team at races I watched live

1. Mercedes - 8 poles
2. Red Bull - 3 poles
3. Ferrari - 3 poles
4. McLaren - 2 poles

This portion of the stats have been dominated by two guys, Hamilton and Vettel. It's usually them. That might change soon.

Most fastest lap by a driver at races I watched live

1. Daniel Ricciardo - 3 FLs
2. Lewis Hamilton - 3 FLs
3. Jenson Button - 2 FLs
4. Nico Rosberg - 2 FLs
5. Kevin Magnussen - 2 FLs
6. Nico Hülkenberg - 1 FL
7. Sergio Pérez - 1 FL

Most fastest lap by a team at races I watched live

1. Mercedes - 5 FLs
2. Red Bull - 4 FLs
3. McLaren - 3 FLs
4. Haas - 2 FLs
5. Force India - 1 FL
6. Ferrari - 1 FL

Ok the fastest lap ones are a bit funky. I mean, Magnussen and Haas only has ever had 2 FLs, both happened when I was there haha! Ricciardo was always quick so nice to see him pick up a number of these. Anyone could really get an FL these days.

Most top 10 finishes by a driver at races I watched live

1. Sebastian Vettel - 14 finishes
2. Lewis Hamilton - 13 finishes
3. Kimi Räikkönen - 12 finishes
4. Sergio Pérez - 12 finishes
5. Daniel Ricciardo - 10 finishes
6. Nico Rosberg - 9 finishes
7. Fernando Alonso - 9 finishes
8. Valtteri Bottas - 9 finishes
9. Nico Hülkenberg - 8 finishes
10. Max Verstappen - 7 finishes

Ok this one is a bit skewed to those who have been around longer but hey, the Hulk is still up there. And even with just 8 races out of the 16 I've been to, Verstappen is already in the top 10.

Most top 10 finishes by a team at races I watched live

1. Ferrari - 27 finishes
2. Red Bull - 25 finishes
3. Mercedes - 25 finishes
4. McLaren - 18 finishes
5. Force India - 16 finishes
6. Lotus/Renault - 15 finishes
7. Toro Rosso - 15 finishes
8. Sauber/Alfa Romeo - 9 finishes
9. Williams - 9 finishes
10. Haas - 1 finish

Damn it, why is it always Ferrari in the points at any races I'm at. Force India/Aston Martin,  Lotus/Renault/Alpine and Toro Rosso/Alpha Tauri have done better at the races I've been to.

Most DNFs finishes by a driver at races I watched live

1. Romain Grosjean - 5 DNFs
2. Pastor Maldonado - 4 DNFs
3. Fernando Alonso - 4 DNFs
4. Nico Hülkenberg - 4 DNFs
5. Jenson Button - 4 DNFs
6. Kimi Räikkönen - 3 DNFs
7. Lewis Hamilton - 3 DNFs
8. Felipe Massa - 3 DNFs
9. Sebastian Vettel - 2 DNFs
10. Adrian Sutil - 2 DNFs

Was hoping to prove a point here but it's not Maldonado on top. Damn it.

Most points by a driver at races I watched live

1. Sebastian Vettel - 288 points
2. Lewis Hamilton - 231 points
3. Nico Rosberg - 135 points
4. Kimi Räikkönen - 121 points
5. Daniel Ricciardo - 109 points
6. Fernando Alonso - 101 points
7. Valtteri Bottas - 91 points
8. Max Verstappen - 86 points
9. Jenson Button - 82 points
10. Sergio Pérez - 47 points

Most points by a team at races I watched live

1. Mercedes - 392 points
2. Red Bull - 378 points
3. Ferrari - 359 points
4. McLaren 174 points
5. Lotus/Renault - 82 points
6. Force India - 79 points
7. Williams - 68 points
8. Toro Rosso - 56 points
9. Sauber/Alfa Romeo - 24 points
10. Haas - 2 points

Well it's the same story, the ones who dominated leads the chart. For drivers it's the ones with more wins, Vettel, Hamilton and even Rosberg. For teams it's the big 3 lately, Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari, and they were closely fought here.

Best average points per race by a driver at races I watched live (not counting those with 3 or less starts)

1. Sebastian Vettel - 18 pts/race
2. Lewis Hamilton - 14.44 pts/race
3. Nico Rosberg - 12.27 pts/race
4. Max Verstappen - 10.75 pts/race
5. Mark Webber - 9 pts/race
6. Kimi Räikkönen - 8.07 pts/race
7. Jenson Button - 7.45 pts/race
8. Valtteri Bottas - 7 pts/race
9. Daniel Ricciardo - 6.81 pts/race
10. Fernando Alonso - 6.73 pts/race

Had I included those with 3 or less races, Alex Albon would have been 7th on 8 points per race. But that's just from one race haha!

Best points conversion by a driver at races I watched live (not counting those with 3 or less starts)

1. Sebastian Vettel - 88%
2. Max Verstappen - 88%
3. Nico Rosberg - 82%
4. Lewis Hamilton - 81%
5. Kimi Räikkönen - 80%
6. Stoffel Vandoorne - 75%
7. Sergio Pérez - 75%
8. Valtteri Bottas - 69%
9. Carlos Sainz - 67%
10. Daniel Ricciardo - 63%

Same as above, had I included less than 3, the top 3 would have been Albon, Norris and Giovinazzi at 100% for their point scoring finish at the 2019 Singapore GP. Also Leclerc was at 67% but he's only done 3 races.

Thanks for reading and checking this out! Enjoy the race weekend!

Kash Top 30 List: Favourite Pictures from my Nikon D5100 Camera

Since I'm turning 30 this year, I thought why not create a few Top 30 lists of things that I like or have done so I've done a few list that covers my interest in just about anything, be it Motorsports, Pokemon, Wrestling, Gaming and also some general things. This one however might have come at the worst possible time.

Yes I know what's going on with the world at the moment with the Covid-19 pandemic which means all of us are most likely stuck at home under quarantine trying to avoid contacting this virus. So what do I really miss doing? Travelling around and using my camera and taking photographs, which was something I picked up back in 2011. Sadly when the pandemic is over, I won't be able to go "trigger happy" with my photos as my camera was spoiled by some dumbass renovation workers last year so thanks for that.

So I thought why not share my favourite 30 pictures I've taken from my Nikon D5100 camera. It'll be mostly on F1 as I got my camera primarily to use in these races anyway but I've had some fun exploring the world and using it as well. 

#30 - Foreign Neighbourhood - Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Just a random shot but it shows how different things are for me when I was in Calgary compared to being in high rise buildings all around back home in Singapore.

#29 - Sunset + Clouds = Awesome - Elk Grove, California, United States of America

This just came out too nicely while I was just messing around with my camera at my cousin's house, I couldn't believe I managed to get that!

#28 You know this place - Akihabara, Tokyo, Japan

Akihabra, what a place. You just have to visit it to know what I love it there.

#27 Brake!!! - 2014 Australian Grand Prix - Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

#26 - Stay Classy - Sacramento, California, United States of America

I just like the classic stuff and the plate saying "Clasy", it sure is staying classy! One of my better pictures taken from my USA adventures. 

#25 - Fireworks! National Day Parade - Singapore

Well, look at it!

#24 Flying kick? - Singapore

Took this at a random football match the one time I went to see my hometown team, Balestier Khalsa play and somehow managed to get this on camera! Talk about perfect timing. 

#23 Best fans! - 2018 Singapore Grand Prix - Singapore

The one cool thing about watching these races is at the end, usually the winning driver will wave to the crowd as he drives past them during his "victory lap" and I've not had much luck capturing these moments so this is the best one I got from Lewis Hamilton. 

#22 Wallpaper shot! - San Francisco, California, USA

For the longest time I had this bit of the Bay Bridge as my header picture and a wall paper because it came out so nicely!

#21 Statue of Liberty but I'm not in NY - Odiaba, Tokyo, Japan

Yup, you can see the Statue of Liberty even if you're not in New York! Something about seeing this here in Odiaba always cracks me up.

#20 Suit up! - 2014 Singapore Grand Prix

Just a random shot but this was just perfectly timed!

#19 The Birdman flies - 2014 Australian Grand Prix - Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

It was cool to see the legend himself Tony Hawk doing his stunts live in person while roaming around during my second visit to the Australian Grand Prix. Lucky me!

#18 Flinders St Station - Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

This place just looks amazing. Everytime I drop by Melbourne, I always find myself trying to take a picture of Flinders St station. I don't know why but it looks majestic enough for me to try.

#17 The Yes Man cometh! - Singapore

It's always cool to see a WWE superstar live in person especially someone I liked, and here it was Daniel Bryan. I got to meet him too and got him to sign his book I had bought a few months back.

#16 Quite the overview - 2013 Malaysian Grand Prix - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The one thing I do like about the Malaysian Grand Prix when it was still hosting F1 races was the vast amount of opportunities to take clean pictures of these cars without barriers in the way. But this was one of my favourites, having an overview of half the circuit!  

#15 Roll out! - 2017 Malaysian Grand Prix - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The other good thing about the Malaysian Grand Prix? You can get a nice view of the cars in their pit-stall in pitlane and getting cool pictures like these. Side note, this just happened to be Pierre Gasly's F1 debut as well.

#14 Majulah Singapura - Singapore

It's just the Singapore flag but it came out way too perfectly!

#13 The Champ is here! - Singapore

I've gotten to watch a number of wrestling events over the years and usually it's only New Japan where I get the chance to use my camera and this was one of my better shots of getting a wrestler during their entrance. Not just any wrestler, but some consider the best in the world, the IWGP World Champion (at that time), Kazuchika Okada!

#12 Champagne!!! - 2013 Singapore Grand Prix - Singapore 

Another instant of just right place at the right time. I've gotten to see the podium celebration up close a few times, mostly in Singapore but also once in Australia and it's always cool to see the drivers right after the race celebrating a race win or a good result. 

#11 On the starting grid! - 2014 Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma - Sonoma Valley, California, USA

This was a really cool experience. Before then, I never got the chance to actually step foot on the starting grid minutes before the race actually happened so to be there for once, it was an amazing experience. Just to see how all the teams prepare before they went to battle was something I never thought I'd get the chance to see.

#10 The race winning move! - 2017 Malaysian Grand Prix - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

I've been lucky enough to take pictures of drivers overtaking each other but this one takes the cake easily. Max Verstappen waited just 3 laps to overtake Lewis Hamilton for the race lead and he went on to win the race so that was a nice moment to catch on camera. And a good birthday present for Max who turned 20 the day before!

#9 Rock 'N Roll Star - 2012 Singapore Grand Prix - Singapore

Thanks to the Singapore GP, I've gotten to see some of the biggest names in music doing their gigs during the race weekend but nothing will beat having seen both Liam Gallagher and Noel Gallagher live in action. Oasis will forever be my favourite musical group and getting the chance to listen to these two living legends in person was awesome. I need to go to their concerts proper next time!

#8 Briscoe Wins! - 2012 Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma - Sonoma Valley, California, USA

Not many people may know this but the reason I got interested in watching IndyCar was actually because of Ryan Briscoe who joined the series in 2005. I had been following his career for a while, tuned in to see IndyCar for the first time and I've been hooked onto the series ever since.

So just imagine me, travelling all the way to Sonoma to finally watch an IndyCar race for the first time and seeing my favourite driver win the event! Best feeling in the world. Sadly it would wound up being his last win in IndyCar but at least I can say I was there to witness it live!

#7 Suzuka Ichiban - 2015 Japanese Grand Prix - Suzuka, Nagoya, Japan

I've been to five racing circuits in the world and Suzuka is easily my favourite. The track is amazing for the drivers but qually as amazing for fans to watch in person! Great views all around the circuit so I had a blast snapping loads of pictures during that weekend in Nagoya.

#6 Applauding the man! - 2014 Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma - Sonoma Valley, California, USA

This was another case of right place, right time. I was trying to get a picture of Scott Dixon on his final lap before winning the Indy GP of Sonoma and realised someone wearing his merch was standing up and I thought, this would be cool if I could get him in. And it came out way better than I could have ever imagined! 

#5 The Best in the World - Wrestle Kingdom 12 - Tokyo Dome, Japan

I've tried taking pictures of wrestling doing their moves before but it usually never comes off well. Except this one. I flew to Japan just to watch this match, Kenny Omega vs one of my all time favourites in Chris Jericho. And this was one of the best matches I've seen live.

#4 There he goes! - 2015  Malaysian Grand Prix - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Simply the perfect example of being at the right place at the right time. Sometimes you just need to be lucky in where you sit to find the action happening. I knew stuff would happen in Turn 1 so I chose to get seats there and lucky me, I got to see Marcus Ericsson spin off at Turn 1 while I was focusing on him to get pictures. Just my luck.

#3 Golden Gate Bridge - San Francisco, California, United States of America

You know this place, you've seen it many times before. So it was cool to get a picture of it from my camera and it came out quite nicely.

#2 12 Apostles - Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

The 12 Apostles was one of the best things I saw during my first trip to Melbourne, something about this place just made me appreciate the world as a whole. And the picture came out perfectly. We still need to take care of our world as it shows here, it's slowly starting to crumble.

#1 Verstappen is out! - 2015 Japanese Grand Prix - Suzuka, Nagoya, Japan

You can't predict this stuff. The right place, the right spot, the right time. As a racing fan, I don't ever see drivers stopping their cars whenever there is a problem still on track so this was a rare sight for many fans. But lucky me, Max Verstappen stopped his car right in front of me so I got this golden shot of him jumping out of his car. I don't think I'll get lucky enough to get a picture quite like this.

Well, I could have had I focused on my camera for a few seconds 15 minutes later as this happened...

I was using the car in front of Daniil Kvyat as practice for when I wanted to start taking pictures again and I noticed he was running wide....and then he went off and did a barrel roll! I was a bit too slow to taking a picture of anything as I was just stunned at what I was seeing but I managed to catch the last bits of it on video. If only I caught that in pictures, that would have been something. 

Thanks for reading my lists! My next one won't take as long as this one hopefully. 

Kash's Top 30 List: Places I want to Visit

Since I'm turning 30 this year, I thought why not create a few Top 30 lists of things that I like or have done so I've done a few list that covers my interest in just about anything, be it Motorsports, Pokemon, Wrestling, Gaming and also some general things. This one however might have come at the worst possible time.

Yes I know what's going on with the world at the moment with the Covid-19 pandemic which means all of us are most likely stuck at home under quarantine trying to avoid contacting this virus. I had always planned a list on 30 places I want to visit and while that may not happen during the next year ( was supposed to make a trip to Alberta, Canada in June and staying there for at least 5 months just in need of a change of environment to help whatever has been bothering me), I'll still give this a shot anyways. It's nice to dream right?

30) Dubai, United Arab Emirates

This one is pretty unlikely but if I had the money, why not? It's got the tallest building in the world, Burj Khalifa. Wouldn't mind seeing what the view must be like from all the way up there! And of course, 105km away from Dubai is Abu Dhabi, home of the the series finale for Formula One. So why not eh?

29) Maldives

This one is a common answer for many, but it does look like a nice place for a quick getaway. If I had the money, why not just relax there.

28) Adelaide, Australia

I've flown above Adelaide many times before when making my usual Singapore to Melbourne trips but never actually visited the place. Have always heard nice things about it but my main reason would be to watch the Adelaide 500, one of VA Supercars' biggest races of the year along with Bathurst in New South Wales.

27) Spielberg, Austria

Another place I want to visit mainly because of motorsports reasons but of all the F1 grand prix events, none might have the most stunning background like the one in Spielberg, must be a really nice place to visit so it's on my list.

26) Bali, Indonesia

I've never actually been there before weirdly enough. Never found the reason to but I've always heard nice things about it from friends and family. Maybe one day I'll finally find a reason to make that short trip there. It's got some of the nice beaches in the world too!

25) Paris, France

I tried to think of other places I would want to visit in Europe but I really couldn't think of anything much so Paris it is. It's got the Eiffel Tower anyway. Also it would be kinda cool to visit the country that hosted the first big event I could remember seeing from my childhood, the World Cup from 1998. Lots of good memories from back then.

24) Mt. Fuji, Japan

Maybe the only place I want to visit in Japan (apart from Motegi) that I've never been to yet. I've seen it from a distance many times before but never when it's close by to me. Being a keen photographer, would love the chance to get a great picture of Mt Fuji live in person someday. Climbing it on the other hand? No thank you. I'll just adore it from afar.

23) Seoul, South Korea

I've been in Korea's airport many times in the past but never actually went out to explore it even for a day. Wouldn't mind doing so sometime in the future, many of my friends have been there but with mixed reactions I must say.

22) Hong Kong

Another one that's on my list mainly due to the stories I've heard from family and friends, sounds like one of the nicer places to visit in Asia honestly. A food heaven for foodies from what I've heard (I'm not).

21) Sweden

20) Norway

19) Finland

I'm just gonna stick all three Nordic countries into one post here. Of all the places in Europe apart from the UK, I've always wanted to visit the Nordic countries the most and also because it's most probably the safest of the lot, unlike places like Netherlands, France and whatever. I do have friends in all four places (Denmark included) and they've always looked great from pictures I've seen. And it's one of the few places I can see the northern lights, something that is very high up my to-do list in life.

18) Belgium

The home of some good chocolates so why not yup? But like many places on this list, it's mainly for racing reasons and this one being the home of one of the best racing circuits in the world (Spa-Francorchamps), I've got to give it a visit one day. Many of my racing friends have been there and all have nothing but great things to say about it.

17) Texas, United States of America

Well howdy! It's always been one of the places I've always been interested to visit in USA. From watching the sights and sounds of it from wrestling shows, F1 or travel shows, it sure seems like a must see place, especially Austin with all the live music going around the area. San Antonio is one of the first places I knew about as a kid and it's one that's high up on my must visit list as well.

16) Swiss Alps

Just look at it! Need I say more?

15) Denmark

It's the home of Lego and Legoland, I have to give it a visit someday in the future. Lego was a big part of my childhood so I'll never forget that part of things. Copenhagen is another place I've always wanted to visit as well, one of the more colourful places I've seen in pictures.

14) Hawaii, United States of America

Similiar reasons for wanting to visit Maldives but way better! My cousins and I have always had this plan where sometime in the future, we'd all meet up (Singapore, Canada and USA) in Hawaii for a family trip and it sure is one of the better places for that kind of stuff. Not too sure if I'd partake in any surfing activies though.

13) Budapest, Hungary

Another place I'd visit for the F1 grand prix there but I've seen pictures from friends who've been there in the past and it's enough to convince me that it's one of the better places to check out as well. It's been said that it's one of the most photogenic places in all of Europe so that's good for someone like myself!

12) Gold Coast, Australia

From what I've heard it's the Miami of Australia so why not! The beaches, the skyline, the theme parks (Warner Brothers), what more can I say? Oh yes, they're also home to one of the best street circuits in the world that used to host IndyCars (and hopefully will in the future).

11) Montreal, Canada

It's another colourful place I've seen in pictures and videos on many shows but again, the main reason would be for F1 as it's the home to my all time favourite circuit in the world, the Gilles Villeneuve street circuit. So many great races have been held there and one day I hope I can watch it live in Montreal.


10) Auckland, New Zealand

The spot of adrenaline junkies! Not quite one myself but I'd visit it for sure. Lots to see to from the moutain ares, the Sky Tower and the beaches! And sand dunes!

9) Florida, United States of America

I've not been to Florida yet still but I've got so many reasons for wanting to go there! Of course the main ones being Disney World but it's also got Universal Studios. David Beckham is about to launch a team there so I've got to see them play someday! It's one of the best spots to play Pokemon TCG as well with many great players around the area. And it's the home of wrestling these days too.


8) Perth, Australia

The closest to Singapore but for some reason I've still not made a trip there, it's only 4 hours away from us too. It's the most isolated city in the world, so perfect for someone like me I guess. Like Gold Coast, the skyline and beaches sure is a plus.

7) Chicago, United States of America

Always been interested to visit Chicago, it's one of those places I've always heard about from a young age. Sears Tower is another one of those places I just have to see. Chicago is known for it's good food and music as well! And it's the home of the Chicago Bulls, Michael Jordan's team so yup i've got to see them play someday in the future.

6) Edinburgh, Scotland

I've always heard good things about the Northern part of UK and Edinburgh is one many of my friends have always talked about. It's another one of those must see places on my list with some of the best views in the world.

5) Toronto, Canada

Probably the #1 place I want to visit in all of Canada. I've always heard so much about Toronto from my family and friends, so I have to visit it. CN Tower is a must visit for me, the views from up there surely is amazing. Niagra Falls isn't that far away as well. Oh and they do host one of the best street cicuits in all of IndyCars as well.

4) Newcastle Upon Tyne, England

Another place in the north of UK that is on my list and one close to my heart. Always been a fan of Newcastle United and when they were featured in the movie Goal!, Newcastle was shown to the whole world and I never realized how amazing the city was. Lots of history surrounding the area, and also lots of museums, castles and beaches. Oh and of course, St James' Park. I need to watch a match there one day.

3) New York, United States of America

Bright lights, big city. It's the place to be right? It's one I definitely have to visit. Just put me in Times Square and I'll just stare into space, admiring the area, most likely with a camera in hand. It's the home of entertainment too and I've always wanted to check out a late night talk show live. The real statue of Liberty is in the area too. And of course, someday in the future, I have to watch a wrestling show live in Madison Square Garden. It's a must!

2) Manchester, England

Another place near and dear to my heart. Probably the very first place I've said I wanted to visit as a kid as well and well....30 years later and I'm still waiting. It's another place with history surrounding it everywhere you go. It's home of some of the best musicians in the world too, most of my favourites (Stone Roses and Oasis in particular) all came from Manchester. And last but not least, my mighty red devils known as Manchester United. It's always been my dream to watch them play at Old Trafford stadium.

1) Indianapolis, United States of America

Surprised? Bet not many were expecting this. If you gave me a ticket to go anywhere in the world, I'd book tickets, specifically in the month of May, for a trip to Indianapolis. It's the home of racing and the home of the biggest race in the world, the Indianapolis 500. Just like it's a dream of watching wrestling in New York and watching football in Manchester, it's always been a dream of mine to watching racing in Indianapolis. And I've heard great things about the area from my friends who have been there too. The Indy Museum is a must visit for sure. And apparently, it's a good spot to play Pokemon TCG as well with many top players around the area.

That's my list, hope you enjoyed it!