Dear Friends and Family,
The grandest event of the year in British motorsport is the Formula 1 Grand Prix. The event takes place at Silverstone GP circuit and tickets are the most coveted of all the England sporting events. Along with being the biggest event in British sports it was also the first time I would see in person Formula 1 cars in full speed.
With only a few days before the British Grand Prix weekend I had no idea how I was going to get in. It wasn't a matter that I hadn't wanted to get it earlier, the simple matter is that tickets are rediculously expensive to buy tickets and beyond my means (the 'cheap' seats for qualifying were 89 British pounds which translated to roughly $180 USD race seats went up from there and the sky was the limit). As is in most things I knew there had to be another alternative to getting in!
As the week approached I had no idea what to do to get in, just that I must get in! I began asking around PalmerSport and I wasn't sure if I would have any luck. However as it turns out one of my colleagues knows a member of the British Racing Drivers Club (BRDC), the group who owns Silverstone. As a member of the BRDC everyone is allocated passes for guests but my friend's friend was not going to be using them. A few phone calls later and I had a proper BRDC credential good enough to get me to the infield. It's good to know people who have friends!
My British Grand Prix weekend started on Saturday morning when I headed to the track around 9AM. Qualifying wasn't until one O'Clock so I assumed that would be early enough to find parking, get myself to the infield, and find a good place to watch the action from. As is the case in any proper sporting event, the ammount of traffic was incredible and it took me an hour and a half to make the ten mile journey from my place in Northampton! However once I started to approach the circuit I could hear the Formula 1 cars on the track for their morning practice session. If you have never heard a modern formula 1 car engine, it simply cannot be compared with anything else that is not a formula 1 engine. The noise is a violently loud, effecient, scream which comes from the 2.4 litre v8 engines which turn upwards of 19,000 RPM. It was easy to discern what was on the track, even five miles away. Eventually, I arrived on site where I found my parking and made my way to the gates.
As I headed towards the infield I was relieved to find out my credentials were the 'real deal' and I could get to the infield without any questions while many others in the same line were being turned away. As I went in I began to see the immediate difference between Formula 1 and every single other form of motorsport which have events at Silverstone. Looking to the infield at which I had been to on many different occasions before I have never seen so much activities. In fact, the infield is a huge place, and it is rarely filled, or even near capacity. There is usually fields of free space. During Formula 1 weekend every remaining bit of space seemed to be put to effecient occupied from the various paddocks, to motorhome park, VIP hospitality areas and even a helicopter airport with four acting terminals to welcome guests! My initial plan to find a nice patch of grass to sit on and watch the cars from was starting to fill with water as I realized there weren't so many spots of grass left!
Some of the other cars that would be racing over the weekend were on track. Along with Formula 1 the GP2 series and Porsche Super Cup series would fill the remaining time slots on the track. GP2 is a series I want to compete in because it is considered the premiere feeder series for Formula 1. From the current Formula 1 grid there are three drivers who came from GP2 currently participating, so obviously that is where I want to be!
After watching some of the other cars race I gave my boss from PalmerSport a call because he would be around later during the day. When I finally caught him on the phone he was just arriving at the circuit with one of his racing friends who participates in the Formula Palmer Audi championship. As it turns out my boss and his friend were going to the VIP area and they just happened to have a spare ticket! Being at the right place at the right time is certainly worth something! I met up with them and my outlook on life changed from sitting on a nice patch of grass as formula 1 cars go by to sipping champagne and eating roast duck as formula 1 cars go by. I don't know what would be much better than that? Aside from of course driving a formula 1 car by as some other bloke eats roast duck and sips champagne. Given my circumstance, what fantastic luck!!!!
Soon after lunch the Formula 1 cars fired up again for the first round of qualifying. From my vantage point the cars came flying by through the first corner Copse which is a flat out right hand corner. They then pass immediately in front of me (from left to right) then they took the next section of corners which are some of the most fantastically named corners in motorsport: Maggotts and Beckets. I am not sure how they came up with those names, but the resulting corners were incredible. Maggotts and Beckets are a set of left, right, left, right curves which the F1 cars take absolutely flat. Apparently in anything else the drivers must lift, however in this one the change of direction was incredible. My boss looked over at me and asked "are you sure you want to do this?" The power and speed of the cars was truly on display here and during qualifying there is no point during the weekend when the cars would go faster.
By the end of qualifying Heikki Kovalienen of McLaren Mercedes had taken the pole position along with the shock of the day Australian Red Bull driver Mark Webber taking the second position. Kimi Raiikonen for Ferrari had taken third and the home town hero (and past PalmerSport employee) Lewis Hamilton had taken fourth in his McLaren.
By the end of the day I was completely amazed by the performance and excitement surrounding Formula 1. The cars were simply remarkable from the straight line speed, to the cornering ability, none the least of which was the noise! It is simply the most superb noise I have ever heard an engine make, by far. I am very grateful for my boss friend inviting me in to the VIP area, a real treat!
After Saturday I headed home completely excited for the race day. Pursuing Formula 1 is the right decision.
Best regards
Michael
4 comments:
Michael,
You are the luckiest person I know! What an incredible day. Has the book arrived yet? When it does you will see that it is an amazing link to the F1 rain event on Sunday.
Hope you're doing well.
Marilyn
PSOTMJDTF1
Both the F1 and GP2 races were action packed. Also Michael, there's more than 3 drivers from GP2, there's actually 5! Lewis, Nico, Heikki, Kazuki and Timo.
Glad you were finally able to get a close experience with these cars, they're amazing.
Very cool! Watched the race and it was a good one!
I have to agree, hearing an F1 car in person compares to nothing else really. However, I haven't heard the current V8 in person yet, but I have to say when Tem and I went to the 2001 US GP, the V10s sounded amazingly cool and different from the V8s (based on TV sound). The Mclarens sounded the best of the bunch then too, with a completely different pitch. We saw Mika's last win in F1 that weekend, even though I was rooting for Rubens to catch him before his engine gave up the ghost.
Your definitely a lucky man to goto such a track and see Formula One at its greatest. Ill admit seeing the 93 Ferrari V12 at Road America is the greatest sound of all Formula One cars haha. Formula One is the right decision and settle for nothing else, keep believing and you will achieve.
Have a good one buddy
Post a Comment