SOMEBODY must have told them that Singapore is a shopping paradise.

If not, some of the top drivers in Formula One drivers would not have gone on a major retail therapy just days before the SingTel Singapore Grand Prix.

De-stress? Perhaps. But the way these drivers stormed into the store and simply swept the merchandise off the shelves was a sight to behold.

Over the past three days, the Puma store at Marina Square was probably the most popular haunt among the F1 drivers.

It was visited by Sebastian Vettel, Fernando Alonso, Giancarlo Fisichella, Sebastien Buemi, Jaime Alguersuari, David Coulthard, Lucas DiGrassi, Romain Grosjean, Robert Kubica and Christian Klien.

Each of them - all Puma-sponsored - spent less than an hour in the store.

But by the time they left, the shelves would be half-empty, said store manager Razali Osman, 35.

And the final damage?

A whooping $50,000 worth of products.

Not just for themselves, mind you, but for their friends and loved ones as well.

Razali said: 'These drivers came with their friends who also took some stuff, but on the drivers' accounts of course.'

One big spender is Vettel.

At 3pm yesterday, the Red Bull driver visited the store and grabbed more than $12,000 worth of merchandise from the lastest collection.

Retail assistant Muhammad Hilmi, 19, said: 'There were only a few customers in the store at that time. But some of these customers recognised Vettel and approached him for autographs and took photos with him.

'He was very friendly and obliged to everyone's requests.'

Hilmi who attended to most of the drivers at the store, felt that Vettel was the friendliest among the group.

He said: 'Vettel was very polite. Not fussy. He was always smiling and would always say 'thank you and please'.'

So what were in Vettel's shopping cart?

Well - take a deep breath - five pairs of the shoes, prices ranging from over $100 to $300; four Rudolf Dassler's jackets which are priced over $600 each; and a $600 Mihara shirt - among others.

Hilmi said: 'He took a few items from every collection. And the same stuff from the ladies' collection. He said those were for his girlfriend, Hanna Prater.'

Lucky girl.

And Vettel appeared to like his purchases very much. When The New Paper team spotted him at the Red Bull Racing pit at about 6pm yesterday, he was already wearing the Cabana Racer II shoes from Puma Archive collection, which he had picked up earlier in the store.

Another star driver who left a deep impression with the Puma sales staff is Alonso from Renault.

Speed is indeed in the Spaniard's blood.

Just like how he drove his F1 car, Alonso came into the store, made a few deft turns around the aisles, pit-stopped at the shoe section, and before anyone knew it, he was out of the place with over $12,000 worth of merchandise.

Razali recalled: 'Alonso came with a young, attractive woman and a man.

'They headed straight to their sections and didn't have to think twice about what they want.

'There were about 20 shirts hanging on a rack, and Alonso took about half of them without even batting an eyelid.

'He went for the Rudolf Dassler, our high-end range and Puma Archive. He also took two Usain Bolt jackets.

'His friend took a lot of Ferrari stuff, though.'

Ferrari stuff? Hmmm...we wonder why. Maybe Alonso's buddy knows something we don't.