Lately, I have got into a routine of writing my blogs on the move. This blog post is no different, but I have taken it to a whole new level for me. I am writing it on my mobile phone whilst sat on an easyJet flight back from France.
The goal in this item was to attend my first Formula One Grand Prix race. I have been very fortunate to receive a number of Formula One invites over the years. The majority have centred around Silverstone. It would of therefore been logical to assume Silverstone would be my first Grand Prix. However, things escalated rapidly following a trip to Monaco (click here to read that blog post) last year, and my planned strategy to tick this one off soon changed.
The Monaco Grand Prix is one of my favourites tracks for a number of reasons:
- It is one of the classic circuits on the calendar
- It is a street race
- It is extremely extravagant
- It was my grandmas favourite track. She used to have a model Williams Renault sat on top of her TV next to a model of a Concorde (which she was lucky enough to fly aboard)
- It was also the circuit I raced over and over again on various games consoles growing up
Thanks to some good friends based in the south of France, an opportunity arose for us to attend this years Monaco Grand Prix. There was no way I was saying no to this.
We flew into Nice on Saturday, and on Sunday we made our way along the French Riviera to Monaco. Our position for the race was the Quai des Artistes restaurant that sits on the La Rascasse corner. Although not the cheapest of options, it was worth every penny. The position is so close to the action at a section on the track where the cars slow down enough for you to be able to see the intense concentration as the drivers tackle the turns. The view on the corner is simply amazing. It is also parallel to the paddock, so great if you want to see the drivers and celebrities up close.The other big selling point is the unlimited food and drink, and access to a clean toilet. In other words, I highly recommend this option.
The race itself was excellent with Hamilton winning the race in front of Ricciardo and Perez, a result that suited me given our party contained some Aussie’s. It was also amazing to see how focused Hamilton was going into the race. He left the paddock a few minutes before the other drivers, snubbing any distractions as he made his way onto the parade lorry alone with just his music. This was a signal of his determination and focus, rather than what some mistook for arrogance and no one liking him. After the race, he was obviously joyous and more than made up for earlier snubs.
This experience was definitely one of the bests I have tackled so far. It may be a combination of factors that made it work so well, but I won’t know unless I do more races. This will definitely be one I build on.
Check out my photos and video below.
Item: #36 – See A Formula One Grand Prix Race
Useful Links:Formula One and Quai des Artiste
Cost: Costs range from hundreds to thousands
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- Tickets for Quai des Artiste.
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- Porsche Cup.
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- Formula Renault.
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- The paddock at the Monaco Grand Prix.
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- Lewis Hamilton at the Monaco Grand Prix.
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- Mclaren.
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- Ferrari.
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- Red Bull.
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- Mercedes.
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- Post race paddock at the Monaco Grand Prix.
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- Me at the Monaco Grand Prix.
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- Me and Hana at the Monaco Grand Prix.