Anyone going to a Grand Prix this year?

24-02-2014 3:48pm #1

So I went to Spa last year, great experience all weekend with the campsite a 2-minute walk from Les Combes and a party atmosphere all weekend. So this year a few are thinking of going again. I'd like to get to another race (Germany/Hungary/Italy) but a quick glance around suggests the campsites wouldn't be along the same lines with individual tickets and the like.

So is anyone heading to a race (or has in the past) and got some tips about them for camping and the like?

My experience was great overall. The Green campsite is right next to the track and the first few nights it was like a music festival campsite sans-scumbags. People had bonfires, smoke machines, lasers, all that good stuff. :P I think it was the Friday evening there was a guy doing little stunts on a motorbike on the road next to the site. We arrived on the Thursday, dumped out stuff out and set up the tent, then drove to Malmedy (I think :pac:) and stocked up on beer (330ml cans for 30something cent in Lidl), bread rolls, meat and salad. The food around the campsite was very poor, prepare for chips and not much else for the weekend :P The burgers varied from not at all nice to awful. Bit of forward planning will prevent hunger though. :pac:
General admission tickets are pretty decent. As above, we were right next to Les Combes so we could leave the tent and within 5 minutes were on the Kemmer Straight. It's a good spot on Friday as it's almost empty and there are some comfortable spots. Great seeing the cars crest the hill after Eau Rouge. We ended up spending the qualifying and race at Pouhon which gets very, very packed very early. The slopes are much steeper than they look :P

Would pretty much do the same as last time if I were going to Belgium again.
So, anyone got tips for other races?

v3ttel · 24-02-2014 4:22pm

Not venue specific, but if you are getting a three day ticket, the Thursday pitlane walk is definitely worth it.

I went to the Spanish GP last year, the Thursday morning pitlane walk was excellent. Not many drivers appeared (only Jules Bianchi), but you could easily get to the front of all the garages. The problem is the 5 or 6 hour gap between the morning pit walk and the evening one, which is why people are put off I'd say.

It's worth queuing up early to get to the front of the line for the evening pit lane walk. It's A LOT busier than the morning, as all the drivers appear. Generally they come out at the start of the session and will only appear once. Unfortunately I missed Paul Di Resta as he came out at the very very start and it was madness trying to make your way down to Force India through the crowds of people.

Barcelona specific: If you are planning on going to Barcelona, it's best to take the Sagales bus service. They leave from a central point in the city and are very well organised. The train stop is easily a 40-50 mins walk from the track, and you can absolutely forget about getting back to Barcelona for 5 or 6 hours after the race unless you run back or leave very early.

Hoping to hit Abu Dhabi or Texas this year.

ZiabR · 24-02-2014 4:28pm

Was also at Spa last year, amazing weekend alright. We got lucky with the weather thats for sure!

I have plans to go to Monza next but I am not sure about this year, I want to see where F1 is going with all of the changes first.

24-02-2014 4:50pm

logik wrote: »

Was also at Spa last year, amazing weekend alright. We got lucky with the weather thats for sure!

There was enough rain to be annoying but not to make the race interesting. :pac:

I have plans to go to Monza next but I am not sure about this year, I want to see where F1 is going with all of the changes first.

Tempted by Monza but the camping doesn't look as fun. Anything I can find doesn't sound great. I wouldn't be surprised to see the lap record go this year.

Zcott · 24-02-2014 4:52pm

Hungary is always a good one. I went a good few years ago and we stayed in a hostel in Budapest but there were frequent buses to the circuit. Good weather pretty much guaranteed.

antodeco · 24-02-2014 6:33pm

Was at Valencia two years ago, and off to Barcelona this year! (Cant wait!

)

I have done the pitwalk before, and really loved it. Somehow, whether its because im small and pasty looking, I always managed to get to the very front of the garages. Most of the pictures I took were pretty much standing in the garage.

Northern Monkey · 24-02-2014 7:21pm

I was considering going to the Austrian GP, but it looks to be sold out:(

If they continue the back to back running I'm going to try and do the US and Brazilian GP's in the one trip (not this year though!).

bitemybanger · 25-02-2014 1:41am

Not a GP but heading to Portimao for the WSBK championship in July.
I was there two years ago for the WTCC and it was amazing. not been to an F1 GP yet.

Joeseph Balls · 26-02-2014 9:00pm

Thinking of going to the Spanish one this year. Stand N, anyone ever been? Whats the view like?

losthorizon · 26-02-2014 10:41pm

Im going to the Spanish Grand Prix as well later on this year. My second time going to this particular GP. You get great views at the stand at the very end of the straight. Its actually the best viewing experience of any GP Ive been to.

Joeseph Balls · 27-02-2014 10:15am

losthorizon wrote: »

Im going to the Spanish Grand Prix as well later on this year. My second time going to this particular GP. You get great views at the stand at the very end of the straight. Its actually the best viewing experience of any GP Ive been to.

You going the full weekend? Think i can only afford the sunday:(

frostie500 · 27-02-2014 12:02pm

I'll be down at the Spanish GP as well with a couple of mates so we should arrange something for one of the days. The pitwalk is a good thing to do on the Thursday

Joeseph Balls · 27-02-2014 12:15pm

frostie500 wrote: »

I'll be down at the Spanish GP as well with a couple of mates so we should arrange something for one of the days. The pitwalk is a good thing to do on the Thursday

Frosty, iv a mate teaching over there so iv free accomodation, but we've a 3-4 trip to the circuit. How much is the pit walk?

frostie500 · 27-02-2014 12:24pm

Joeseph Balls wrote: »

Frosty, iv a mate teaching over there so iv free accomodation, but we've a 3-4 trip to the circuit. How much is the pit walk?

Pitwalk is included with a full weekend ticket (I went for the general admission ticket a few years ago for about €140) and the GA is great at Barcelona.

Where abouts are you staying? We usually stay in the city and get the train out, it's about 45 mins on for the train and then a 20 minute walk to the track.

GarIT · 27-02-2014 12:39pm

I'll be at Monza

Joeseph Balls · 27-02-2014 12:44pm

frostie500 wrote: »

Pitwalk is included with a full weekend ticket (I went for the general admission ticket a few years ago for about €140) and the GA is great at Barcelona.

Where abouts are you staying? We usually stay in the city and get the train out, it's about 45 mins on for the train and then a 20 minute walk to the track.

Cant think of the town he teaches but il find out. Whole weekend for 140e? We were getting seats on Stand N for around 80 each just for Sunday. Am i being robbed?
Edit: never mind just looked up a few sites.
Is the GA area good viewing?

frostie500 · 27-02-2014 1:45pm

Joeseph Balls wrote: »

Cant think of the town he teaches but il find out. Whole weekend for 140e? We were getting seats on Stand N for around 80 each just for Sunday. Am i being robbed?
Edit: never mind just looked up a few sites.
Is the GA area good viewing?

The GA at Barcelona is really good, you can get into the stands for the Friday and the GP2 and GP3 races on Saturday but for qualifying and the race you have to sit on the grass hills. You can sit at the first corner all the way through to the stadium section so you can see the vast majority of the track, it's a bargain

Joeseph Balls · 27-02-2014 1:52pm

frostie500 wrote: »

The GA at Barcelona is really good, you can get into the stands for the Friday and the GP2 and GP3 races on Saturday but for qualifying and the race you have to sit on the grass hills. You can sit at the first corner all the way through to the stadium section so you can see the vast majority of the track, it's a bargain

Think there will be a change of plan so....

eddieham · 27-02-2014 5:32pm

Heading to Monaco and Austin this year, cant wait. After many years of doing Monaco on a shoestring budget with cheapest tickets, finally managed blag VIP tickets for weekend with pit lane access

andyman · 02-03-2014 6:20am

I'm aiming to go to one this year. I've applied for jobs in Sharjah and Dubai so if I can get one of them then Abu Dhabi could happen

losthorizon · 02-03-2014 5:21pm

Joeseph Balls wrote: »

You going the full weekend? Think i can only afford the sunday:(

I'll be there the Saturday and Sunday. Coming up from the South of Spain as I will be around Spain for a bit before hand. Cant remember now but isnt a weekend ticket not much dearer than a day pass?

Joeseph Balls · 02-03-2014 6:55pm

losthorizon wrote: »

I'll be there the Saturday and Sunday. Coming up from the South of Spain as I will be around Spain for a bit before hand. Cant remember now but isnt a weekend ticket not much dearer than a day pass?

The weekend GA ticket is just like 40 quid dearer than the ticket for Stand N we were looking at. Reckon the view is better too

Joeseph Balls · 03-03-2014 2:01pm

Have you found your accomodation yet? Looking for a cheap hotel. All it needs is a bed, and even so, im not fussy

Carroller16 · 03-03-2014 3:29pm

Going to Melbourne. Flying out next Wednesday. Cant Wait.

antodeco · 03-03-2014 3:58pm

Jaysus, theres loads of us here going to the Spanish GP. Im flying over on the Wednesday and coming home the Monday. Full weekend with pit walk, in he lower stand A (i think?). Right at the start/finish line!

frostie500 · 04-03-2014 10:13am

antodeco wrote: »

Jaysus, theres loads of us here going to the Spanish GP. Im flying over on the Wednesday and coming home the Monday. Full weekend with pit walk, in he lower stand A (i think?). Right at the start/finish line!

Anyone else interested in a meet up at the track?

antodeco · 07-03-2014 12:07am

I'm sure ill bump into you when I'm there. I assume youre doing the track walk?

kryptonmight · 07-03-2014 12:18am

Would like to go to a race but finances are stretched at the mo. I am thinking about going to Silverstone purely based on how close it is. And maybe either Spa or Monza.

But at the mo, nothing is booked.

07-03-2014 1:02am

Anyone done Le Mans? I'm trying to convince a friend to go (52 for the week's camping, 73 for general entrance ticket) and some first-hand reviews would probably help :P

Bugatti · 07-03-2014 9:33am

Anyone been to Austria before? Thinking for going there! What are the best viewing points? Would somewhere around turn 2 allow you to see a lot of the track? Also will the layout be much the same as the old A1 Ring?

Zcott · 07-03-2014 10:44am

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Anyone done Le Mans? I'm trying to convince a friend to go (52 for the week's camping, 73 for general entrance ticket) and some first-hand reviews would probably help :P

I did it a few years back for a couple of years running. Bring good walking shoes and try to get there early to get a decent camping spot. Great experience though; trying to get some sleep when you're absolutely exhausted and there's a corvette thundering past 20ft from your head is something...

frostie500 · 07-03-2014 11:15am

Deleted User wrote: »

Anyone done Le Mans? I'm trying to convince a friend to go (52 for the week's camping, 73 for general entrance ticket) and some first-hand reviews would probably help :P

Went to it a few times and I'll be back this year. We dont stay on the track campsites, I did that in 07 for the MotoGP and it was horrendous because of the bad weather! I'd say that for the 24 Hours it would be much better weather but 250,000 people will make for sleepless nights! Le Mans is an amazing weekend and I couldn't recommend it highly enough. If anyone is only thinking of going to it they should just take the plunge!

08-03-2014 3:52am

Zcott wrote: »

I did it a few years back for a couple of years running. Bring good walking shoes and try to get there early to get a decent camping spot. Great experience though; trying to get some sleep when you're absolutely exhausted and there's a corvette thundering past 20ft from your head is something...

It's flat so should be a breeze compared to Spa :P

frostie500 wrote: »

Went to it a few times and I'll be back this year. We dont stay on the track campsites, I did that in 07 for the MotoGP and it was horrendous because of the bad weather! I'd say that for the 24 Hours it would be much better weather but 250,000 people will make for sleepless nights! Le Mans is an amazing weekend and I couldn't recommend it highly enough. If anyone is only thinking of going to it they should just take the plunge!

Once we get the car parked we won't be too worried about the tent and weather :P
Woulldn't be planning on sleeping but I'm hoping there'll be no boredom from the qualifying on Wednesday til the race on Saturday, just to make my case as much possible :P

counterlock · 08-03-2014 9:38pm

Just booked my tickets for MotoGP in Assen. It will be my first one, so I'm looking forward to seeing how it will be different than the usual F1 weekends.

frostie500 · 09-03-2014 12:24am

counterlock wrote: »

Just booked my tickets for MotoGP in Assen. It will be my first one, so I'm looking forward to seeing how it will be different than the usual F1 weekends.

I'll be at assen again this year, it's a good race with a decent atmosphere and should have loads of good viewing spots for spectators. Good nightlife in the towns around the track as well

freestyla · 09-03-2014 10:57pm

Budapest is booked here. Cost 120 for weekend at Bronze grandstand, think that's probably better view of two corners + chikane than double priced pit straight, especially with this year cars maybe more sideways at turns 4 and 5

Austria is another one planned but no tickets yet. Any tips for A1 ring appreciated.

afatbollix · 10-03-2014 2:15am

Might head up to Silverstone on the Friday as Im on the way up north to the tour de France so might as well stop into the F1.

cailin8 · 11-03-2014 10:29pm

Hoping to head to my first GP this year!

Probably Silverstone

14-03-2014 12:23am

Going to suzuka . gonna be in Japan so might as well drop by the GP! Ages away tho.
Excited and nervous of what to expect!

counterlock · 26-03-2014 12:28am

frostie500 wrote: »

I'll be at assen again this year, it's a good race with a decent atmosphere and should have loads of good viewing spots for spectators. Good nightlife in the towns around the track as well

Out of curiosity, why is the race on a Saturday?

frostie500 · 27-03-2014 10:38am

counterlock wrote: »

Out of curiosity, why is the race on a Saturday?

It's historically been on the Saturday because when the race was first run the locals wouldn't race on Sunday for religious reasons. Great race to go to though!

30-03-2014 1:51am

Looks like I'll be hitting Spa again this year, meetup on the Thursday?

Joeseph Balls · 06-04-2014 4:59pm

Lads,
Whats the best airport to fly into in barca?

antodeco · 06-04-2014 5:17pm

Joeseph Balls wrote: »

Lads,
Whats the best airport to fly into in barca?

I'm flying into Reus!

Joeseph Balls · 06-04-2014 6:02pm

antodeco wrote: »

I'm flying into Reus!

I might fly into el Plat airport. Only 26 mins away from track by car

antodeco · 06-04-2014 7:23pm

Joeseph Balls wrote: »

I might fly into el Plat airport. Only 26 mins away from track by car

Sorry, it is El Prat! Was originally flying into Reus but went with el prat instead!

Joeseph Balls · 06-04-2014 7:29pm

antodeco wrote: »

Sorry, it is El Prat! Was originally flying into Reus but went with el prat instead!

Yea Reus is an hour and half away.
Might see ya on the plane:p

frostie500 · 06-04-2014 11:56pm

El prat is the best, get the bus from the airport for a fiver into the city centre. The other airports are a bit crap to get to in comparison

jamok · 08-04-2014 10:38am

Heading to Monaco this year, booked the flights and hotel hoping I get a nice bonus from work so I can get some good GP tickets but we will be going thursday anyway. Any tips for a first timer??

christy c · 08-04-2014 10:43am

jamok wrote: »

Heading to Monaco this year, booked the flights and hotel hoping I get a nice bonus from work so I can get some good GP tickets but we will be going thursday anyway. Any tips for a first timer??

I was having a look at tickets for Monaco, not many left so whichever ones you go for make sure to do it quickly. Never been to Monaco so can't give specific advice

christy c · 08-04-2014 10:47am

What would it be like going to the Silverstone testing? I'm already going to another race so not going to shell out for the actual British GP. At the moment flights to Birmingham are dirt cheap for those days, hire a car and staying in Milton Keynes looks very appealing. Anyone do it before?

Anyone going to a Grand Prix this year?

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