Formula 1 Malaysia Grand Prix

The Grand Prix has a long, illustrious history in Malaysia, dating back to 1962 when Singapore was a part of the Malaysian Federation. Held at Sepang Circuit since 1999, the Malaysian Grand Prix annually welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over the world.

Each Grand Prix location is beautiful, exotic, and unique. What makes Kuala Lumpur stand out is its tropical temperatures and lush surroundings, making a tropical vacation so much more than just about laying out in a swimsuit.

Each track is different, too. The KL track offers long stretches of high-speed straights combined with exciting twists like a double hairpin turn at the very first corner.

I had the incredible honor of witnessing all this in person, in the coveted (and air conditioned) Paddock Club. Multiple course meals complemented with beverages both alcoholic and virgin made it an exquisite experience. We were situated right at the starting line, so watching the fanfare beforehand and the Winners' Circle after were an easy task.

Malaysia combined the history of Formula 1 with Malaysian culture by having traditional Malaysian performers dance and play music at the starting line before the race began.

I was able to do the Pit Walk, which is when you walk the pit lane and see every driver's station with their respective teams prepping for the race. It was almost an out-of-body experience being so close to the action. Having grown up with Grand Prix races on TV, it was a milestone to even be *at* one--to be working with them, even more so.

And the race was on! Everyone's favorite, Lewis Hamilton, got burnt out with engine failure of all things in the middle of the race. Instead of trying to play catch up after repairs, he (probably wisely) called it quits to save face for an impossible battle and got shuttled off the track. Another favorite, Nico Rosberg, dramatically moved on up from last place to third, overcoming Virtual Safety Car restrictions and a ten-second penalty for clipping another driver. He somehow landed third place, while Red Bull secured a scorching win with BOTH their drivers in the #1 and #1 positions (Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen, respectively).

The cherry on top of this perfect day was concluding it with a post-race concert with Usher. I hung out backstage with his crew, danced, and sung my heart out to songs of nostalgia past. I will never not love Usher.

Thank you to the Malaysia Grand Prix team for having me. You've made a superfan of me. I can't wait to go to the next one!

To find out more about the Malaysia Grand Prix, check out the official website here.