While social gatherings are still limited to groups of five in Singapore, the members of the Ferrari Owners' Club Singapore (FOCS) still managed to have a weekend of fun in a safe environment as the club hosted a Virtual Grand Prix on Sep 26-27.
A total of 33 FOCS members participated in the friendly competition and they were divided into seven teams of four or five drivers each. Saturday was set aside for Free Practice while Qualifying took place on Sunday morning with the Time Attack happening in the afternoon.
For the Time Attack, each driver had to do three laps around the 23-turn Marina Bay Street Circuit on the realistic F1 simulator that provided smooth graphics, high fidelity audio and a motion system that replicates the movement of the F1 car as swerves down the chicane or slingshot around corners.
Staying close to Ferrari's links to racing, the teams were named after past and present Scuderia drivers - Team Schumacher, Team Leclerc, Team Vettel, Team Raikkonen, Team Massa, Team Alonso and Team Barrichello.
The event was certainly given some colour as two FOCS members even showed up, and competed, in their racing suits and helmets. While there was banter, these Prancing Horse owners are serious about clocking fast times once the visors are down.
To ensure that health and safety protocols were observed, the teams showed up at Ital Auto's showroom at Leng Kee Road at staggered timings to ensure that they groups do not meet up and mingle.
In the end, it was Team Barrichello that emerged top of the pile, with Team Massa and Team Vettel finishing second and third respectively, concluding a very successful and safe hosting of the Virtual Grand Prix.