I bought the second-cheapest tickets available for Singapore's F1 race this weekend, and it was a huge mistake

• The Singapore Grand Prix is one of the crown jewels of Formula 1. 
• I booked the second-cheapest tickets for the race, which cost $96 and $137 each.
• The crowd was chaotic and the seats were in the back row, so I missed half the race.

The Singapore Grand Prix is the biggest event in the city-state. It's where the fastest cars, hottest parties, and star-studded concerts collide. 

More than 300,000 people attended last weekend's Formula 1 race at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, and I was one of the many fans at the three-day event.

Unfortunately, thanks to a bad booking decision, I missed a lot of the action.

I volunteered at the event as a newsletter writer in 2017 and 2018, so I was provided with a pair of three-day tickets in addition to my all-access staff pass both years.

This year was my first time buying tickets for the race.

I tried booking tickets the night before the first day of the event, and there were only a few categories that weren't sold out. I ended up purchasing tickets for seats at the Padang Grandstand, which cost 138 Singapore dollars, or $96, and the Bay Grandstand for SG$198. The tickets were for the practice and qualifying sessions on Friday and Saturday respectively.

The tickets were on the cheaper end of the spectrum. The only cheaper option is a SG$98 ticket for a Zone 4 Walkabout pass on practice day. Every ticket, no matter the cost, also grants entrance to the concerts.

At first, I thought I had landed myself a great deal.

It was electrifying to watch the rivalry between Ferrari and Red Bull play out before my eyes, and the rave-like concerts with Marshmello and the Black Eyed Peas kept me dancing all night. It poured all weekend in Singapore, but the weather did little to stop the action.

But my experience came with some downsides, too.

I missed half the race because it took so long to get to my seat

Because there were hundreds of thousands of people at the race, walking from zone to zone was no easy task. On qualifying day, I had to walk from the concerts in Zone 4 to my seat in Zone 3.

After the concerts, most of the fans tried rush to their seats in time for the race. But since there was only one overpass that led to the Bay Grandstand, it meant thousands of people were pushing up against each other. I found myself sandwiched, body to body, in the crowd. Some people were squeezing through trees and climbing on ledges to inch closer to the overpass. 

By the time I reached Zone 3, there were only 30 minutes left of the hour-long qualifying session. What's more, my seat was located in the second-to-last row of the grandstand. I could barely see the race track or even see the screen where the results were displayed.

At the end of the day, it wasn't worth going through all that trouble for a back-row seat. In fact, I spotted an unobstructed view of the circuit in Zone 4 — which is where the cheapest tickets are. From Zone 4, I managed to snap a couple close-up photos of the cars, including Sergio Perez's (pictured below), who ended up winning the race.

Overall, the Singapore Grand Prix was just as electrifying as I remembered. But take it from me: If you're there to watch the race, the second-cheapest tickets are not worth the money. If you want to save money and still watch the race, go for the cheapest tickets. And if you're just there to enjoy the night, you don't need a seat at the grandstand to enjoy the energy.