Visiting / Camping tips - Spanish F1 - Circuit Catalunya.
Discussion
Does anyone have any experience of going to Barcelona F1 camping? Just bought a General admission ticket and camping car parking ticket (EUR45 - which I assume is the campsite?), I will probably head there on Friday, in a T4 camper.
This will be the first F1 race I've attended.
Any tips for Circuit Catalunya?
What are the good viewing spots for best overtaking in free parts?
Any tips on the camping? Is it safe/carnage? I guess once to pitch, you can't move.
Any other 'must dos'?
Any good stuff for young kids (4-5)?
Gracias!
(I asked these questions in the main Spanish GP thread, but on reflection that might be the wrong place to ask as its mostly about discussing the race itself.)
No worries, any advice welcome. Do you have seats, or just general admission?
I can't remember where the best overtaking parts of the track are - I seem to recall this track was a bit dull before DRS, but has had a few good races since. Does that right a bell? I watch F1, but obviously not that closely!
I can't remember where the best overtaking parts of the track are - I seem to recall this track was a bit dull before DRS, but has had a few good races since. Does that right a bell? I watch F1, but obviously not that closely!
Clinton Baptiste said:
Sorry to thread hijack, my first gp too this wknd, going with a mate and stopping in a hotel in Barcelona. Would be great to hear best /cheapest way to the track. Do's and don'ts etc..
Cheers
My first overseas GP this weekend too. In terms of getting to the track, best option I think is the bus which leaves from Passeig de Sant Joan. There's loads of them and they run constantly through the day.Cheers
http://www.sagales.com/en-web-8_formula-1-circuit-...
///ajd said:
No worries, any advice welcome. Do you have seats, or just general admission?
I can't remember where the best overtaking parts of the track are - I seem to recall this track was a bit dull before DRS, but has had a few good races since. Does that right a bell? I watch F1, but obviously not that closely!
DRS zone is the pit straight. Our tickets for Sunday are in the grandstand at the 1st corner I can't remember where the best overtaking parts of the track are - I seem to recall this track was a bit dull before DRS, but has had a few good races since. Does that right a bell? I watch F1, but obviously not that closely!
I only have general admission, you can watch from the open areas around the track, hence why I'm wondering what the best options are. We'll probably suss it out tomorrow.
The general admission also gets you into any grandstand on friday, and in the pitlane today, but the latter sounds like a scrum!
The camping is only 300m from the track (north east ) - it has hot showers & toilets (but rumour is the hot water doesn't last long...), but I don't expect any electric hook up. Still, the 100ah battery should see our fridge keep the beer cool until Sunday!
The general admission also gets you into any grandstand on friday, and in the pitlane today, but the latter sounds like a scrum!
The camping is only 300m from the track (north east ) - it has hot showers & toilets (but rumour is the hot water doesn't last long...), but I don't expect any electric hook up. Still, the 100ah battery should see our fridge keep the beer cool until Sunday!
hornetrider said:
My first overseas GP this weekend too. In terms of getting to the track, best option I think is the bus which leaves from Passeig de Sant Joan. There's loads of them and they run constantly through the day.
http://www.sagales.com/en-web-8_formula-1-circuit-...
Thats great thanks, are the bus tickets the same price if you just turn up or are they cheaper if you pre book them? http://www.sagales.com/en-web-8_formula-1-circuit-...
Its nearly 2100 Friday night on the campsite. Loads of space still, bit sloped so bring levelling chocks for campers would be good advice. Some nutters about (e.g. santa on on DIY chopper thing made from angle iron by the looks) but actually quite relaxed.
Saw FP2. Even though nothing really happened, there is something quite thrilling seeing it for real for the first time. Took me a while to work out who is who in the teams by the luminous marking on the top of the cars - interesting that on TV it is always obvious who is who. The only obvious one was Fernando, that is easy as the whole grandstand claps and cheers when he goes past!
Weather is awesome.
Saw FP2. Even though nothing really happened, there is something quite thrilling seeing it for real for the first time. Took me a while to work out who is who in the teams by the luminous marking on the top of the cars - interesting that on TV it is always obvious who is who. The only obvious one was Fernando, that is easy as the whole grandstand claps and cheers when he goes past!
Weather is awesome.
Edited by ///ajd on Friday 9th May 20:05
Watched qualifying near T8, and found some shade where you can see the track as its hot. View of track OK but not brilliant, but one of the places where the 'big TV' is near enough to read the drivers names.
Watched the GP2 race in Grandstand H, as all the entry checks seemed to stop after the F1 qual. Fair bit of action in this bit of track, its like an arena.
There were some bouncy castles and kids play areas near T8-T9, but actually the cars and noise etc. was exciting enough for them not to be needed for my 4 year old. Needed ear defenders for the screaming GP2 cars, not so much for the F1....though the F1 noise is certainly different, and better than on TV.
Big cheers on main straight when Lewis got P1. Also big cheers when someone broke down....bit rude really.
We'll see what the race is like, I fear a scrum! I suspect getting seats early (before Nov) is the way to go if we come again, though the shade available in the free areas was pretty welcome.
Watched the GP2 race in Grandstand H, as all the entry checks seemed to stop after the F1 qual. Fair bit of action in this bit of track, its like an arena.
There were some bouncy castles and kids play areas near T8-T9, but actually the cars and noise etc. was exciting enough for them not to be needed for my 4 year old. Needed ear defenders for the screaming GP2 cars, not so much for the F1....though the F1 noise is certainly different, and better than on TV.
Big cheers on main straight when Lewis got P1. Also big cheers when someone broke down....bit rude really.
We'll see what the race is like, I fear a scrum! I suspect getting seats early (before Nov) is the way to go if we come again, though the shade available in the free areas was pretty welcome.
Had an awesome weekend also, we were in j grandstand opposite the pit exit, great seats with a big screen to watch also. Baking hot, glad I took suncream! The gp2 cars sounded amazing and like the op says, the f1 cars do sound better than on tv. Got a train from Passeig de gracia to mont Mellor then 30 min walk to the track, the train ticket was 5 euros return! Unbelievable! All in all a truly amazing weekend, glad everyone else enjoyed it too!
We were in the arena section for quali, brilliant view of the cars all the way from the end of DRS2 through to the final chicane and the last corner. For race day we were a bit further down from the pit exit than you Clinton, our seats were opposite the 150m braking board for T1. Great view of T1-3, and then the section as the come downhill in the left hander then back up the hill the other side.
Have to say the Sagales buses were excellent. The queue in the city was almost non-existant on both days, stacks of buses queued up waiting to leave as soon as they were full or the queue disappeared. Leaving the circuit on Saturday we got straight on to a bus and were back at the drop off point in the city in 30 mins. On race day we had about a 10 minute queue and it took longer to leave the track because of traffic, but we still got back within the hour.
Superb weekend.
Have to say the Sagales buses were excellent. The queue in the city was almost non-existant on both days, stacks of buses queued up waiting to leave as soon as they were full or the queue disappeared. Leaving the circuit on Saturday we got straight on to a bus and were back at the drop off point in the city in 30 mins. On race day we had about a 10 minute queue and it took longer to leave the track because of traffic, but we still got back within the hour.
Superb weekend.
///ajd said:
... Needed ear defenders for the screaming GP2 cars, not so much for the F1....though the F1 noise is certainly different, and better than on TV.
...
Good to hear, but 100,000 at the busiest circuit vs tens of millions watching on TV. ...
I get that smaller engines, recovering otherwise 'wasted' heat & sound, etc but the sound as it is, is disappointing (on my telly).
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