Debate: Are you going to a race?

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Are you going to a Grand Prix this year?

If so, which one, and have you been before? If not, why, and are you going to any other races instead?

Last year I went to Silverstone for the British Grand Prix and Istanbul for the Turkish Grand Prix – and this season I’m fulfilling a life’s ambition by making my first trip to Monza for the Italian Grand Prix.

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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13 comments on “Debate: Are you going to a race?”

  1. I’m off to Silverstone this year for my first ever GP despite being an avid sofa-fan (a fan of F1 while sat on the sofa, not a fan of sofas themselves) since I was about 11. It has never before occurred to me to go actually, but my sister’s bloke and his mates go every year so I’m tagging along with them.

    I’ve never been before because I reckon you get a better view on the box (even if you do have to listen to James Allen). I went to Le Mans in 2005 and despite it being an amazing weekend I rarely knew what was happening on-track (and not because of the large amounts of rubbish beer I drank either).

    If Silverstone’s days really are numbered (and I hope more than anything that they’re not) then now is the time to go before the ‘British’ Grand Prix is held at Paul Ricard / occurs every other year / goes down the pan altogether. I also grew up an avid Damon Hill fan and as he’s pushing for the event to go on into the future I feel I’m doing my bit (nothing against Jackie Stewart – I grew up in a different era).

    Money and time off work being no object, Monza would also be on of my list as well as Spa, Suzuka and, of course, Monaco.

    July can’t come soon enough.

  2. Chris Jansson
    15th March 2007, 16:03

    I’m going to Belgium this year I hope, not set but it seems quite certain. The only thing I’d want to have there if I get there is Michael Schumacher, only seen him drive once and it was at Hockenheim I think 2002 and it wasen’t really a good day for him. But maybe an old MS fan won’t think of it so much when the season gets rolling.

  3. Silverstone and Spa – both magnificent circuits.

    If you’re going to Silverstone for the weekend I strongly recommend spending one of the practice days checking out the cars as they go through Becketts – simply stunning.

    I went to Spa in 2000 for that epic Schumacher-Hakkinen encounter. You need a weekend to see as much of that track as possible. As well as the obvious vantage points – Eau Rouge, Blanchimont, Pouhon – there are some other places not to be missed. The high view over the left hander after Rivage is great.

    Definitely make sure you have waterproofs and an umbrella with you though – even if it’s blisteringly hot when you leave for the circuit in the morning.

    There’s some more on Spa from someone else who went there here: https://www.racefans.net/going-to-a-race/spa-francorchamps-belgium/

  4. I have had the opportunity to actually RACE at 9 US Grand Prix (Watkins Glen 1973 – 1981) and twice at the Canadian GP (1980 and 1981). Just pre-race support races but we got two hours practice on Friday and a 10 lap
    ‘curtain raiser’ before the F1 race. Read about the exploits next week (March 22) on: http://www.formula1latest.com/
    I also managed a few laps at Silverstone (1977) but NOT during a GP weekend. Beyond the actual circuit probably the ‘biggest’ memory is rounding onto the start/finish straight and seeing the 1000s in the stands. YIKEES! NO MISTAKES at turn one!!!
    Number 38

  5. I’m hopefully going to the Canadian GP. I hate the USGP Indy track, and Tony George, and Indiana for that matter.

  6. Number 38 – that’s cool look forward to reading it!

    Kevin – what’s up with Indy?

  7. Michael Beran
    16th March 2007, 2:41

    I’m hoping to get to Bahrain tied in with a business trip. If not, I’ll be going to my first GP in Monaco with my wife. Following I’ll be attending the USGP. Sorry that someone hates Indiana, they’re nice folks there.

  8. Really cant afford to attend a race, these student days are cash strapped :P.

    Besides the point, can you please update the F1 season 06 link in your sidebar to point to http://f1chronicles.com and the link text as rediscover formula one.

    Thanks :)

  9. Done and done.

    And I’m enormously jealous of the Michael going to Monaco.

    I wonder if anyone here has ever been to every race in a season?

  10. Thanks :)

    you forgot to change the linktext BTW, can you change it to rediscover formula one, thanks in advance.

    @Michael – Wow, you must be rich :P

  11. I’m going to Barcelona with some mates, and Hungary with my girlfriend. Last year I was at my first race in Istanbul. (Don’t recomend it, because of the long haul out to the track in the middle of nowhere. 2 hours by bus each way — that’s 12 hours on a bus for the weekend — in Hungary it will be 3 hours the whole weekend. Apart from that Istanbul was very good.)

    The races I go to has are decided by the places you get cheap plane tickets from Oslo, and cities I would like to see anyway. I make a long weekend out of it.

    The race ticket prices is rediclous by the way. For the race in Barcelona the plane ticket and hotel room costs 70 Euros less than the grandstand tickets at the first corner.

    Money being no object — Monaco or Canada would be fantastic.

  12. Absolutely jealous of your first time at Silverstone. Mine was in 1996 courtesy of a national magazine and was spent in their hospitality suite. Breakfast and lunch provided and the champagne!!! All day!!!

    The racing was fantastic also I think! I actually fell asleep in the grandstand during the Porche (I believe it was) race, after F1 qualifiying and I was wearing ear plugs.

    The next year we went to the McLaren hospitality tent as we were on Team McLaren, which is great as you can see the race on TV if it rains.

  13. I’m not going to a race this year – mainly because they’re so expensive, and that there isn’t an awful lot of show on race day.

    Also I’ve been very lucky with some F1 race experiences in the past (spending whole weekends in the paddock as a guest of Arrows, watching the 1994 Belgian GP from the Tyrrell garage) and I don’t think i could top those.

    However, infinate cash what would I go to? Spa is the no brainer and a must, Monaco has to be done twice – once from a trackside grandstand and once from a yacht (sadly I’ve only done the first), Silverstone is always good and probably Suzuka or Shanghai for the experience

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