Itinerary + tips:
Thursday
• We arrived at 9 A.M. at the main entrance to see the drivers. They started showing up after 10 for their Track walk and press conference.
• There was a ticket booth for the Pit Lane walk. The tickets were 20 Euros but they were limited and already sold out. Better find them online if you want to experience the Pit Lane and see the garages.
• We made some friends there and found out that some drivers were taking photos with fans. We followed their directions and met with the drivers. We got some autographs and some cool photos.
• Gates opened at around 12, the entry was free to everyone. We had a lot of activities to choose from.
• We could sit in the Grandstands in Turn 1 and watch the Safety cars go around the track to check it. Some drivers did their Track walk late, but we weren´t there to see them.
• The Fan Zone area had simulator games, more shops, food courts, a bungee jumping area, iconic F1 cars on display and a main stage with DJs and music.
• The main stage will host F2 and F3 drivers on Thursday, and F1 drivers on Friday. Ask around to find out when will the drivers come there. They will take pictures with fans and hand them autographs.
• In the camping area, people bring their business and sell F1 merchandise with lower price. You could check them out.
Friday
• This weekend was a Sprint + Race weekend, that meant we had the Qualifying on Friday and the Sprint on Saturday.
• Our accommodation was about 1 hour away from the track. On Friday we didn’t rush to get to our seats and because people tend to come right before the big event of the day, the roads to the track were crowded. Parking areas were also full, we had to park 35 minutes away on foot.
• Entrance is possible only with a valid ticked, for your sector. Your backpacks will be checked. You are not allowed to bring glass bottles but you can have food and drinks even though there are enough food courts.
• The grass area was not crowded, we had enough place to look for a spot and set our blankets. We didn’t have chairs on our first day. We found out they are very practical.
• Check the video to see where we think the best seats on the grass are, make sure you have a screen nearby, to see the race and the replays. Without it you won’t know what’s happening.
• We watched F3, F2 and F1 practice sessions and in between, some entertaining sessions, such as the Red Bull Driftbrothers and Paddock Club track tours. The same would be happening on Saturday and Sunday, in between sessions.
• Once the F1 Qualifying started, the crowd changed. Everyone was now paying attention to the race and started cheering and singing. Awesome atmosphere.
Saturday
• We were better prepared now. We left earlier to avoid the traffic (around 9), we bought chairs for our own comfort and we found the closest parking place. We parked around 10 and we did 20 minutes to our sector.
• The sun was a bit too intense so we used our umbrellas to block it and stay in the shade.
• Again, we watched F3, F2 sessions and this time, also Porsche Super Cup. Time passed quickly, with funny red bull fans on our right and food and beer shops on our left.
• The F1 Sprint race created the crazy atmosphere again, this time the red bull fans brought some orange smoke with them. It was a cool view.
• After the race, the party continued in the Fan Zone until late into the night.
Sunday
• We decided to be very early in our sector, to get good seats for the show. We woke up at 5 and arrived in our sector at around 7:15. The track opened at 7, we weren’t the only ones there, but we managed to get good seats.
• This is not the case if you buy a ticket in the grandstands, where you’ll have your own seat and every seat will have a good view. But for us, in the grass, the atmosphere was definitely better.
• Sunday was the busiest day when it came to entertainment events. We had a spectacular Air Show with many planes, helicopters and parachutists.
• After the Air Show, the noise moved from the air onto the track with the arrival of the Iconic F1 cars like Vettel’s 2012 Red Bull, Mario Andretti’s Lotus or Niki Lauda’s Ferrari. They amazed us with the sweet engine sounds of the past.
• This show was followed by the Driver’s Parade. All the drivers did a lap and saluted the crowd.
• The most awaited moment arrived and we watched the cars line up on the grid. The feeling was fantastic and hard to describe. Thousands of people supporting different teams were standing all together, enjoying the same race and cheering every action from the track.
• The race was also eventful and intense, and everyone was cheerful, no matter who the winner was.
All in all, this was a great experience that we will definitely go through again in the future. I hope you’ll be able to experience it too and hopefully we were able to give you an idea of what to expect from it.
Music:
ALL WAVY + SWAY - / tubebackr
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