Dublin to host to Formula One event! - Next June

PJTierney

Pics I took in Dublin on Sunday, only hung around the fanzone as I didn't have time to watch the main event (+ the weather was horrid and I'm going to Silverstone anyways ).



Full set: http://imgur.com/a/qluC0

The Davestator

I really feel for people who paid after reading their accounts. I arrived at 12 ish and walked directly up to a barrier at those steel things just up from the pit area. I could see all the stunts from where i was standing and the cars had to slow down a bit to go through the little corner there so got a great look at them.

PJTierney

I was surprised at how "empty" the Northside was, down near Jury's/Custom House. Had I stayed that would have been the perfect spot to watch from.

BaZmO*

PJTierney wrote: »

I was surprised at how "empty" the Northside was, down near Jury's/Custom House. Had I stayed that would have been the perfect spot to watch from.

Yeah I was wondering about that from looking at some of the videos posted. Was the section just out Jury's (opposite the grandstands) a free to view area for the public, or was it just a press area?

st1903

I hope if they ever stage another of these events here, people have better sense than I did and avoid buying tickets. I was sitting near one of the stairs down onto O'Connell bridge and one of the stewards decided to open it up and allow people in. I reckon at least 100 came in before another steward told him to close it. Whats the point in paying for tickets when something like that happens? On top of everything else thats been said here it all just pisses me off that I spent good money on the tickets.

G-Money

PJTierney wrote: »

I was surprised at how "empty" the Northside was, down near Jury's/Custom House. Had I stayed that would have been the perfect spot to watch from.

I was walking along there and got as far as that bridge thingy and they closed some gate and made us walk back. I'm guessing that's why it was empty.

Dcully

I really wonder what some people expected they would get for the €160 tickets.
Some guy on Joe Duffy just now complaining he only got to see x car and y car in the paddock area,the gas thing is x and y cars he mentioned were the only ones listed to appear :rolleyes:
I mean all he had to do was look at what cars were set to make an appearance and then he would know what he was going to see there.

Others complaining the F1 car wasnt out long enough, here again if they done their homework they would know full well what was going to happen in terms of what cars would be there and what time frame they were set to run for.
I was travelling back to the red cow luas car park on the luas after the event and there was people giving out hell that they paid €80 for tickets and they got to see 2 F1 cars drive by "not at full speed" one guy saying"rubbish drivers couldnt go and faster" , i just had to laugh my head off, FFS are these people for real?
Did they really expect to see and F1 car @ full chatter?
Theres countless reasons why that was never going to happen.

Personally i was only interested in seeing/hearing the F1 machines and Eugene`s Superbike,i can see pretty much everything else in my local Mondello Park every other weekend.

ART6

I posted earlier about this shambles, but more: When we arrived at the event, and in possession of two paddock tickets, we presented ourselves at a barrier that seemed to offer paddock entrance. A bouncer in a yellow jacket growled that we had to join the queue to get an arm band before we could be admitted. The queue he indicated stretched as far as the eye could see, ten deep, all along the quays and over the Millennium Bridge. How many thousand people in it all, presumably, with tickets they had paid for?

This queue for arm bands was being serviced by a tent with three or four operatives who checked tickets and distributed the vitally important arm bands. While we queued an important individual with a yellow jacket printed with "Ticket Supervisor" came along, offering to scan tickets with a hand held device like a mobile phone. He scanned ours, and I asked him what that resulted in. He simply shrugged and walked away. In fact it seemed to have no useful purpose whatever.

After an hour we received the magical arm band, and also a ribbon with a plastic barge the we should hang around our necks, although it was never explained why we needed both. Now, at last, in the p*****g rain and freezing wind, we could set off in seek of the paddock.

This paddock, it turned out, seemed to consist of beer tents and burgher vans, with some race and rally cars hidden inside tents twenty feet behind barriers. We gave up on that and climbed into a stand as the days entertainment was about to start. The Maclaren F1 car hurtled through close to the road barrier, so the only people who could see more that the top of the driver's helmet were those who risked life and limb by leaning out from the front row of the stand.

We had, naively, assumed that "paddock" meant what it did in F1. However, we found quickly that was not the case. What it actually meant was a long and pointless walk along the quays only to find that all of the action we had paid to see was taking place where anyone could see it free of charge. We had the benefit of large TV screens showing us what was going on, but I could have availed of two years or more viewing from RTE for the money we paid for tickets.

In my view the whole thing was a total shambles and a total rip-off. The organisation was chaotic. The security didn't seem to know what the hell they were supposed to do. People who thought they were going to see race cars spent ages in queues in the rain when they had already bought tickets. My son, who is not a petrol head, was overwhelmed by the sound of the Maclaren F1 going past even if he couldn't see it, but he saw damn
near else.

If anything similar to this is ever hosted in Dublin again, I think I might just take a rain check. Oh, and I won't buy their b****y beer!

Dravokivich

G-Money wrote: »

I was walking along there and got as far as that bridge thingy and they closed some gate and made us walk back. I'm guessing that's why it was empty.

PJTierney wrote: »

I was surprised at how "empty" the Northside was, down near Jury's/Custom House. Had I stayed that would have been the perfect spot to watch from.

BaZmO* wrote: »

Yeah I was wondering about that from looking at some of the videos posted. Was the section just out Jury's (opposite the grandstands) a free to view area for the public, or was it just a press area?

That area was reserved for spectators with disabilities. Didn't stop a few people barging in though.

To be fair, wasn't much viewing to be done on that side either. Could only catch a glimpse of the performance area by Custom Hse. Wasn't till much later when people left that myself and a friend got a view along a strecth of the road.

RCardy

Some photos of the event over here: Link

Dcully

LIGHTNING wrote: »

To be fair Jensen gave it full beans anytime I saw the car, spinning the rears and hitting the rev limiter. That was good fun, the rest was pants of the highest order.

Hitting the rev limiter is not quite the same as racing speed like some people seemed to be expecting.
Jenson was great to be fair then again im a big fan of his.
I forgot to mention the wonderful smell that accompanies the sights and sounds of an F1 car.

jkb_dub

I'm like most others, paid full price for the silver paddock and while the event itself was good the organisation/planning was terrible. I didn't use a seat in the grandstand on the quays as it gave no view at all.

Similarly the officials had no clue as to what the plan was for getting people to their respective areas. The lack of signs made you reliant on the officials but they were useless. They even admitted this themselves. Most were friendly but some were downright rude especially when anyone challenged them on their queue management.

If they do decide to host this again I'd definitely go and watch it in the free areas.

Has anyone who's complained in writing actually received a reply ?

Daniel S

LIGHTNING wrote: »

Added POLL

I think it pretty much sums up how people felt now.

Paying for tickets - Not worth it.
Not paying for tickets - Totally worth it.

Plus, if there is a next year, it will be better organised!

BaZmO*

Daniel S wrote: »

Plus, if there is a next year, it will be better organised!

It won't. It'll be a mess. Nobody will pay for a ticket so all the free spectator areas will be absolutely rammed. And I betcha the weather will be fantastic too, making it even more packed!

Daniel S

BaZmO* wrote: »

It won't. It'll be a mess. Nobody will pay for a ticket so all the free spectator areas will be absolutely rammed. And I betcha the weather will be fantastic too, making it even more packed!

I think they'll learn from it and stick it in the Phoenix park or somewhere like that.

If they did that there would be plenty of places to see what's going on and if the weather is good, all the better.

But yea, nobody will pay for tickets next year!

Charlie-Bravo

Added Poll?!

Where's the Been to an F1 race before so couldn't be arsed hanging around in the rain to see two minutes of JB setting his McLaren on fire option?

PJTierney

Dravokivich wrote: »

That area was reserved for spectators with disabilities. Didn't stop a few people barging in though.

To be fair, wasn't much viewing to be done on that side either. Could only catch a glimpse of the performance area by Custom Hse. Wasn't till much later when people left that myself and a friend got a view along a strecth of the road.

I was referring to this stretch: http://goo.gl/maps/EsPI

Anybody could go there, the disabled viewing was around here: http://goo.gl/maps/9pVl

antodeco

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOxg8A-W0wI

Daniel S

antodeco wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOxg8A-W0wI

Really shows how greasy it was for the F1 drivers.

panama

astrofluff wrote: »

Added Poll?!

Where's the Been to an F1 race before so couldn't be arsed hanging around in the rain to see two minutes of JB setting his McLaren on fire option?

Where's the I know more than you, so there option? :rolleyes:

Slutmonkey57b

panama wrote: »

astrofluff wrote: »

Added Poll?!

Where's the Been to an F1 race before so couldn't be arsed hanging around in the rain to see two minutes of JB setting his McLaren on fire option?

Where's the I know more than you, so there option? :rolleyes:

It's next to the "who let all these poor people out of the ghetto and onto the internet?" one.

Dravokivich

PJTierney wrote: »

I was referring to this stretch: http://goo.gl/maps/EsPI

Anybody could go there, the disabled viewing was around here: http://goo.gl/maps/9pVl

Hmm, ok I'm talking about the second spot alright. The disabled area went from that corner to near enough to where the vodafone fanzone was though.

PJTierney

Dravokivich wrote: »

Hmm, ok I'm talking about the second spot alright. The disabled area went from that corner to near enough to where the vodafone fanzone was though.

Yeah I know, people were asked to go around the back of IFSC which eventually leads you to the fanzone before rejoining the track.

stevenmu

I think you have it sorted out now, but FWIW, I ended up on the other side of the road from Jury's looking straight across at it. There wasn't any signs or notices or anything that the area was for disabled viewers on either side of the road.

I made my way down there after starting at Dame St and not being able to see a thing. There was tons of space there, got a great view from really close up. It was't a "performance zone" so I didn't get to see any burnouts or stuff, but got a very good view of the cars going by.

G-Money

I got a reply from them saying they'd be in touch next week.

Did anyone else email or write to them?

Shakeandbake!

The prices for this were a complete and utter rip-off for what was just a demonstration. I stood at one of the free areas (bottom of D'Olier st) and I guess one couldnt complain as a non paying viewer. But €70 odd quid to watch that?? That is an as* raping of the highest order!

I recently went to Brands Hatch for the DTM meeting and paid €72 for a ticket which got me grandstand seat, pre race pit lane walk, and all day paddock access. There was top class on track action for the guts of 10 hours incl DTM race, F3 race, Eurocar (nascar style) race, Lotus Cup, VW Racing Cup. I got to meet a load of motorsport personalities...Gary Paffett, David Coulthard, Mike Rockenfeller, Andy Priaulx, Joey Hand, Susie Wolff, David Brabham, Bruno Spengler, Martin Tomcyzk, Norbert Haug...during the pit-walk as well as getting up very close to the cars as the mechanics worked on them pre-race. Jenson Button was there and did a few laps in a DTM Merc then up at the Merc hospitality section he was signing autographs, posing for photos and chatting with loads of fans, hes a genuine class guy. Now thats what you call value for money!!

Sheeps

Why are you complaining about the price if you got to witness the event for free?

Shakeandbake!

Sheeps wrote: »

Why are you complaining about the price if you got to witness the event for free?

Read paragraph 1. I said one couldn't complain if watching from free area. I also said the ticket prices were a complete rip-off or am I not entitled to that opinion because I didn't purchase?

Charlie-Bravo

panama wrote: »

Where's the I know more than you, so there option? :rolleyes:

Sorry, didn't realise I was being an arrogant git! I just couldn't see the attraction of the event to go. But reading this, there was obviously some good spots to watch, especially the drifting, but to get to watch the best parts would have been a lottery. Like any avid follower of F1, if you are going to a race, you try and get tickets in best possible place based on your budget, but with this event nobody knew where would be the best (hence the complaints about grandstand tickets away from prime spots).:(

viking

Sorry to drag up the old thread but I'm assuming this isn't going ahead in 2013 seeing as the tickets were on sale around this time last year...?