high-speed fun

On THE EvE OF THE 2019 SinGAPOrE GrAnd Prix, TAG HEuEr HEld iTS TrAdiTiOnAl PrE-rAcE PArTy wiTH brAnd AmbASSAdOrS mAx vErSTAPPEn And cHriS HEmSwOrTH. JOEzEr mAndAGi rEPOrTS FrOm SinGAPOrE

E very year when the Singapore Grand Prix rolls around, the island city-state takes on a festive atmosphere as Formula 1 racers and fans from all around the world gather for one of the most highly-anticipated events of the year. As a watch brand whose long history is closely intertwined with racing, TAG Heuer was also present as the timekeeper for the ground-breaking F1 Aston martin red bull racing team.

but in what has become a bit of a tradition for the Swiss watch brand, TAG Heuer also held a pre-race event attended by friends and fans of the brand, media representatives from around the region and, most excitingly, one or more of its brand ambassadors. This year’s pre-race party was held at the Gardens by The bay with appearances by belgian-dutch racer max verstappen who drives for red bull racing together with Hollywood actor chris Hemsworth.

A Night in the Garden

much like last year’s pre-race party, this year’s event was all about having a bit of fun before the actual Grand Prix began. As evening fell, journalists, retailers, viP guests and various other invitees began to flock towards the Gardens despite the hot, humid air and the haze covering the city’s skyline. Food and (thankfully cold) beverages were served, there was some (extra lively) live music on one of the stages and, for the horologically-inclined, there was also a display set up featuring three stunning calibre Heuer 02 chronographs.

The F1 theme was most visible on the main stage, where an actual red bull Formula 1 race car was placed to one side. many guests, recalling last year’s event, guessed that it will play a big part in some sort of challenge for the

“TAG Heuer’s brand ambassadors are supposed to embody the brand’s ‘ Don’t Crack Under Pressure’ spirit. This time around, they had the chance to showcase the fun side of the motto” Max Verstappen, Irwan Danny Mussry, Maia Estianty and Chris Hemsworth; the brand ambassadors participating in the BATAK challenge Opposite page The venue at the Gardens by the Bay

evening’s guests of honor—and they were right, but more on that later.

it wasn’t long before the event started in earnest, with the night’s mc taking to the stage to welcome guests to the venue followed by an opening speech by Amelia Sillard, TAG Heuer’s managing director for Southeast Asia and Australia. not long after, max verstappen made his entrance to cheers from the audience—which only got wilder when chris Hemsworth finally appeared on stage.

After a bit of light banter, however, it was time for the challenges.

Don’t Crack

TAG Heuer’s brand ambassadors are supposed to embody the brand’s “don’t crack under Pressure” spirit. This time around, they had the chance to showcase the fun side of the motto in two quickpaced, F1-themed challenges. The first challenge was most-definitely F1-themed: changing the tires on the race car placed on stage.

Of course, on the racetrack, tire changing during pit stops are done by teams. So, both verstappen and Hemsworth were joined by two local celebrities each, forming Team chris and Team max. Each team had to perform two tire changes in quick succession. needless to say, it was a hectic but lively affair, especially as most of the participants weren’t exactly dressed for the occasion—especially the ladies.

After both teams have taken their turns on the tire change challenge, came round two: the bATAK challenge. Often used by F1 racers to train their hand-eye coordination, the bATAK machine features a series of flashing buttons on a metal frame that will light up randomly. The objective of the challenge is to hit as many buttons within a limited time span. For this round, four more local celebrities were invited to form Team chris and Team max. And once again, what ensued was a lively and hectic blitz of activity on stage, as each team tried their best to outdo each other despite the heat, the humidity and—for some of the ladies involved—the hazards of doing the challenge while wearing dresses and high heels.

in the end, Team max accumulated the highest total score and was declared undisputed champion. with the challenges over, the atmosphere became more relaxed as people mingled, took the requisite group photos with attending celebrities and basically hung out while enjoying the food, drinks and the light but refreshing breeze that came as an unexpected but timely blessing.

Soon, the races would begin and the world would see which teams would manage to not crack under pressure. but that evening, TAG Heuer once again showed the racing world that it could also let loose and have fun.