First GP experience

[White Turf]

I thought I'd give my impressions of my first visit to a GP. (A 40th birthday present 10 years late!) I have just returned from Belgium having attended the Belgian GP and spent the following week visiting the Flanders area to honour relatives lost in the First World War.

The first thing to say is that much of what I say will be old hat to the more expereienced readers here, but I am still in the afterglow of a great weekend. If you can, do the Thursday pit walk, because unless you are in the Paddock Club or a team guest you are unlikley to get as near to the cars and drivers at any other point during the weekend. We saw teams practice pitstops, drivers signing autographs, Mark Webber in the garage just chatting with his engineers and mechanics. For me the fact that at Spa you enter the circuit at La Source and have a direct look down the back pit straight to Eau Rouge gave me goosebumps. All this despite the chaotic nature of the whole thing. Thousands of spectators milling around and a man on a quad bike with a trailer full of GP2 or 3 tyres trying to drive down the pit lane at the same time

Friday and all intentions of wandering around the general admission areas are out the window. Spent most of the day huddled under the grandstand at Eau Rouge drinking coffee and trying to stay warm and less wet. Still I got to see a few drivers on the edge in FP1 including Schumacher and Webber, both of whom were very close to losing it as the came up the hill. BTW photos and TV do not do Eau Rouge any justice at all. It has to be seen to appreciate how steep it is and how blind the crest really is.

Got back to the hotel ( I'm well past camping at this stage in my life ) to discover that I had somehow lost my Sunday ticket. Yes I was an idiot for taking all three with me on Friday . Got to the circuit early on Saturday and the very friendly people at the ticket office confirmed what I already knew: No replacements for lost tickets, but took my phone nember in case someone found the ticket and handed it in. About 20 minutes later I got a call to say so many people had lost tickets that they were looking to replace them free of charge. It turned out that the security guys who insisted everyone took their tickets out of the clear plastic wallets in order to scan them caused more than a few to be lost in the wet conditions. I was elated. 10 minutes after that I got another call to say my original ticket had been handed in and I could come and collect it Spent a very enjoyable day at the track after that. A dry FP3, qualifying, GP2 and GP3 races were all enjoyed.

Sunday was bright and cold in the early morning, warming up later, but walking into the circuit with the other fans you could sense the change in atmosphere, tension was higher in anticipation. I could not wait for the support races to finish and then what happens? Grosjean makes a idiotic move before we even see a car through Eau Rouge Still after the race finally got going it was great to see Button pull away in the way that he did. But Raikkonen's pass on Shumacher happening in front of me was somethig else.

I should say that without Fanvision I would not have enjoyed the weekend as much. It really kept me informed and really does enhance the enjoyment of being there. The immediate gasps of horror and fear for the drivers after the crash which many of us saw 'live' on Fanvision proves to me what I always knew, no true motorsports fan wants to see crashes, we want to see spectacular racing.

Sorry for the long essay but I had to get it off my chest.

P.S. The icing on the cake? My wife turned to me as the podium celebrations were going on and asked could we come again .

[Gary]

Thanks for sharing that, White Turf. Sounds like a terrific, but partly wet, weekend!!

Regarding, "I should say that without Fanvision I would not have enjoyed the weekend as much"... I have long since gone to the Australian Grand Prix with a radio, earphones and my good ol' lawn-mowing earmuffs. Always, the AGP has had a localised FM transmission of the circuit commentators and I can hear the commentary perfectly at all times. I think it's an essential to keep up with the race. In fact, it's amazing how often nearby spectators ask me what's happened to such and such a driver who hasn't come round this time. Away from the dulcet tones of the Sky or BBC commentators and on-screen supers, F1 is a very hard sport to keep track of.

In recent years, I've been to the Malaysian and Singapore Grands Prix and have been surprised that they don't have an FM transmission of the track commentary.

Others GPs around the world, anyone?

[The Rumble Strip]

Silverstone do it.

A first F1 live race is certainly a great experience and for me, it's the whole weekend atmosphere that really makes it special, including accommodation and merchandise stalls.

It is therefore a regret of mine that it took me eighteen years of watching the sport to actually attend a race.

[White Lightning]

Glad to hear you enjoyed your weekend, WT - Spa is definitely on my "to do" list!

Your Friday reminds me of Silverstone this year - at least you had proper chips to keep you warm...

What are the faraway grandstands/bankings like? Silverstone is obviously excellent for circuit-wide viewing and you can walk around it in a couple of hours, but I imagine if you're at La Source it's a trek to get to Pouhon and the likes?

[White Turf]

[The Rumble Strip]

It's got to be Monaco and Monza for me in terms of a wish list.

I've been to Monaco a few times so it would be great to see how it all fits together, as well as for the prestige.

Monza has to be included for the historical value, plus just so I can see how mad the tifosi really are.

For some reason, Belgium has never appealed to me and longer distance races are really out of the question though that said, Abu Dhabi looks a nice place to visit.

[SkidMarks]

We all have different tastes. I love Monza and hate Monaco, but if it is to visit the places, I would reverse the choices.

Spa is my favourite F1 circuit in the world, but you do not see that much if you visit. (One of the major reasons that I hate Monaco, besides the rip-off prices, is that I can't actually see very much. Go figure.) Second favourite is probably Montreal, then Suzuka or pre-Woodcote chicane Silverstone.

My first G.P. was Aintree, 1961 and my most recent, sadly, was Montreal 2010. A combination of age and (lack of) funds mean that it may be my last ever. I will still go to Le Mans, Goodwood Revival and FOS and clubbies, but I think that my days of globetrotting and live F1 have finished.

Happiest memories are probably Ronnie at the Osterreichring in 78, Bruce McLaren in 68 at Spa and Massa at Magny Cours in 2008. These are by no means the greatest races, just the ones where the memories still make me smile.

The race I wish I had not visited was the '82 San Marino where Didier Pironi earned my contempt more than Alonso, Piquet jnr, or Piquet snr could ever do.

Ramble, ramble, ramble.
_________________
Yes, I Know that I'm a BOF. Someone please tell me why I still watch.

[The Rumble Strip]

Thanks to a Christmas gift, I'm off to book Silverstone 2012 tickets.

It will actually be my tenth visit so perhaps I now need to look further afield but for the sheer thrill and experience of it all, you just can't knock it.