ASK Sherie Ng why she is so excited about next year's inaugural Formula One race and the SingTel director of brand experience will tell you that it's all because of her 10-year-old son.

One of the key people behind SingTel's sponsorship of the first ever F1 night race, Ms Ng says that her son's enthusiasm has rubbed off on her.

'He's a big fan. He and his friends in school know all about the teams and the drivers,' she explains. 'It's amazing how much awareness of F1 there is in the virtual community.'

That element of personal interest may have started the engine, but it was a powerful set of reasons that got the corporate vehicle moving into the F1 race.

Two weeks ago, SingTel announced that it will be the title sponsor of next year's street-circuit race, which will henceforth be known as the 2008 Formula 1 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix.

Ms Ng declines to go into monetary figures (it has been speculated however that the title sponsorship cost the telco $15 million) but what she will say is that the benefits of being co-branded with one of the world's most glamorous sporting events are immense.

'Formula One is a global branding platform, providing a global reach with coverage available in 185 territories and an audience reach of close to 600 million,' she says. 'It is an excellent platform to reach millions across the social spectrum. F1 already has an avid following in Asia and it will grow significantly with the arrival of the 2008 Formula 1 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix.'

She adds that the association with a series of world-firsts is another compelling reason.

'It will be the first race to be held at night, which will push the frontiers of technological and performance innovation. Skills, training and dedication are required to achieve operational efficiency and breakthrough results at the night race. And it will be the first Grand Prix race in Singapore.'

All these are closely aligned with the brand values of Singapore's largest listed company, according to Ms Ng.

'This history-making race represents the innovative human spirit. It is the epitome of cutting-edge innovation, precision technology, collaborative partnership and high performance culture.'

She says that these are the same values and qualities that SingTel has and which it is cultivating within the organisation.

'This sponsorship will be the global stage to deliver an impactful SingTel story. Our operations span the globe with 37 offices around the world serving customers with the most innovative and world-class communications infrastructure and solutions.'

To put it simply, F1 is seen as the perfect marketing and messaging platform.

'For example, F1 is all about speed. That is a good analogy to SingTel's high-speed broadband services.'

As a marketing specialist with 14 years of experience in the telco industry, Ms Ng should be well qualified to talk about 'impact'. She was previously vice-president of regional marketing & PR at Comverse Asia Pacific. Before that, she had similar positions at CSG Systems and Lucent Technologies.

So it is no surprise to hear that she has 'quantified the value' of the returns from SingTel's F1 sponsorship. It is also no surprise that while she describes it as 'tremendous', she also tells you with a polite smile that she is bound by confidentiality agreements from revealing what it might be.

Nevertheless, one thing she will openly tell you is that this whole exercise has piqued her interest in motorsports. It helps that she loves driving and sports cars.

'My passion for motorsports has increased greatly. My family members are also into racing cars and digital racing games. And when I drive, it is amazing - nothing beats the feel of the wind in my face. It is my own de-stressing mechanism.'

She also appreciates well-made cars. Like her sporty Continental model, for example.

'I like it for its safety and ease of handling. It has a good balance of internal and external aesthetics.'

She elaborates: 'If you look at some cars, there is attention to detail in its ergonomics, colour of the leather and quality of the wood and metal. In others, you have a beautiful exterior but the interior is cheap and plasticky.'

So does she - or rather her son - have any favourite team or driver that she will be rooting for when the F1 circus comes to town in September?

She immediately turns circumspect and reverts to her corporate persona, saying with a laugh: 'I can't talk about favourite teams in this conversation because of the sensitivities involved.'