The excitement in the air is almost palpable, as we eagerly count down the days till the Singapore Grand Prix 2022 night race and weekend filled with events that are 'most immaculately buzzing' (as our Culture Editor says). While much has been said about the extremely popular racers who have since made appearances around the little red dot—to the joy of their respective fans—it's about time we took a step back and looked at the local talent making our country proud.
For 40-year-old Yuey Tan, Singapore-based professional race-car driver and a veteran of the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia (PCCA) race series, the global pandemic has been practically torture. With 11 Singapore Grand Prix starts (and two wins), this motorsport superstar joins the ranks of Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton with the number of Singapore Grand Prix races they've been in. We join him for a quick chat as he prepares TSS The Super Series round in Singapore under SLK Racing—his first race since the pandemic.
ESQUIRE: Congratulations and all the best for the race in Singapore Grand Prix 2022! How are you feeling as you gear up to return to the circuit once again after almost 3 years?
Yuey Tan: It’s been absolutely fantastic to be back racing with my last visit to the Marina Bay Circuit being in 2019. It’s fantastic to be back! We had no idea if or when this came as one of the most prolific human events of my lifetime. Though like everything else, the world overcame it. It was just a matter of when. It is the same approach with racing: we have a plan, if it doesn’t go according to said plan, we adapt and make the best of it.
Preparation has been awesome. With some of the awesome sponsors and partners that have come onboard, including SLK Logistics, K-Supper, Brewlander, Fearnley LNG, Leica, Top 93, it's evident that we just couldn’t have done it without them. It has been nothing short of a miracle to get this all together in such a short time.
ESQ: What did you miss most about motorsports during the global pandemic, where most of these activities were put on hold indefinitely?
YT: Well, it was a whole host of things. Most obviously, being on circuit was something that I missed after eleven consecutive seasons of GT racing and being involved with the sport. Travelling with friends, having good times with fellow drivers, engineers, mechanics too. We were a travelling circus of young guys back then, and it really helped us form a genuine camaraderie. It always is a lot of fun. I missed everything about the sport.
ESQ: Can you tell us a bit more about the car (the Porsche 911 GT3 R) you’d be using in this race? What’s new and exciting despite having been behind the wheel of a Porsche for more than a decade?
YT: I wake up every day excited about the Porsche 911 racing car. It takes its soul and DNA from Porsche heritage and when you drive that thing, it is unmistakably 911. The balance. The way to drive it. The engine is behind the rear axle so you got to get the braking right, trail into the corner and get on the throttle at the exact moment to change the balance as the car exits. It’s super cool!
It has a lot more aerodynamic downforce than any car that I’ve driven at the Marina Bay Circuit. This is, in fact, the first time that GT3’s from different car manufacturers will take to the streets to Singapore. All of the cars have strengths and weaknesses, so it’ll be interesting to see how the teams setup their cars to tackle this physically demanding circuit.
ESQ: This will be your second time partnering with Singaporean craft brewery, Brewlander. What would you say is the secret to this successful partnership—would it be the passion that drives you both?
YT: First and foremost, we all like working together! Leica & Fearnley LNG and I have had a partnership from 2014 till today. That’s a long time! Brewlander again for the second time—though in addition to liking to work together, of course we need to do a professional job and represent the products and services that partner up with us with the same precision, reliability and performance that we bring to the race circuit.
We pride ourselves on delivering not just on the circuit, but off it too. It is the whole package that keeps us together and the team deeply respects the support that all of them have given us.
ESQ: The theme of our upcoming October issue is 'Success'. So what does success mean to you?
YT: Success is a by product of a good system. Put in maximum effort. Don’t given in to your own excuses and shortcomings. Don’t blame others even when it could be their fault. Lead by example. Keep the team together. Care for your fellow colleagues. Engage each other. And you will win together and lose together. But together you will be.
