Testing - worth a jaunt over?
Discussion
Mulling with a trip to see some of the testing - mainly to grab some photos but also take a look at what's what.
£70 Ryanair and £30 ticket seems a reasonable wedge.
Anyone been, Worth the effort?
Also, some of the hospitality packages seem quite reasonable too. Would these grant access to the paddock area as well?
£70 Ryanair and £30 ticket seems a reasonable wedge.
Anyone been, Worth the effort?
Also, some of the hospitality packages seem quite reasonable too. Would these grant access to the paddock area as well?
Not been personally, but this year has the potential to be the most interesting in terms of what you might see: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/147484/new-rule-...
There's also proper coverage on the F1 streaming thing.
Next year will be better though.
There's also proper coverage on the F1 streaming thing.
Next year will be better though.
I've been twice (2018, 2019) and thoroughly enjoyed it.
I made a 2-3 day mini break out of it with my wife on both occasions, stayed in Barcelona and we had a day seeing the sites and a day at the track.
The circuit is a 30 minute train ride from Barcelona to Montmelo station and then you can either share a taxi from the train station with other fans to the track (5 mins). There were loads of taxis.
I opted to buy tickets on the gate rather than in advance which left me the flexibility to pick the day with the best weather to head to the track and spend the other in the city!
Access is good, you can walk around the whole track and sit in a range of stands. Front straight, braking area for turn 1 and the stadium section toward the end of the lap.
Worth noting you cannot buy beer at the track or even take it in with you, its a dry circuit and they check every bag! But there are food stalls and merchandise stands behind the main grandstand.
We used the Piso Boxes above the pits for Hospitality in 2018. I think it was around £200 each for the day and that included food and drink (you can get alcohol here). As part of that package we were allowed an hour to mull around the paddock. Met some drivers past and present.
For 2019 we just wandered around the general admission and if anything I enjoyed that more due to spending more time at other viewing areas really seeing the cars work, such as the inside of turn 3 and the uphill right hander at turn 9. We saw Gasly hit the wall there actually.
Hope that is of some use!
I made a 2-3 day mini break out of it with my wife on both occasions, stayed in Barcelona and we had a day seeing the sites and a day at the track.
The circuit is a 30 minute train ride from Barcelona to Montmelo station and then you can either share a taxi from the train station with other fans to the track (5 mins). There were loads of taxis.
I opted to buy tickets on the gate rather than in advance which left me the flexibility to pick the day with the best weather to head to the track and spend the other in the city!
Access is good, you can walk around the whole track and sit in a range of stands. Front straight, braking area for turn 1 and the stadium section toward the end of the lap.
Worth noting you cannot buy beer at the track or even take it in with you, its a dry circuit and they check every bag! But there are food stalls and merchandise stands behind the main grandstand.
We used the Piso Boxes above the pits for Hospitality in 2018. I think it was around £200 each for the day and that included food and drink (you can get alcohol here). As part of that package we were allowed an hour to mull around the paddock. Met some drivers past and present.
For 2019 we just wandered around the general admission and if anything I enjoyed that more due to spending more time at other viewing areas really seeing the cars work, such as the inside of turn 3 and the uphill right hander at turn 9. We saw Gasly hit the wall there actually.
Hope that is of some use!
Edited by TwentyFive on Thursday 13th February 13:32
TwentyFive said:
Worth noting you cannot buy beer at the track or even take it in with you, its a dry circuit and they check every bag! But there are food stalls and merchandise stands behind the main grandstand.
Jeez... Who's bright idea was that!? It'd have to be a hip flask secreted somewhere security are disinclined to check then
TheDeuce said:
Jeez... Who's bright idea was that!?
Bizarre! But I checked with the guard and it applies during the race weekend too which surprised me. From what I understood it was as a result of a ban on alcohol due to issues at football events but the rule was written in such a way that all other Spanish sporting events were covered under the new law.There were a lot of cans on Estrella in the wheelie bin by the entry gate... and sadly so were mine!
TwentyFive said:
Bizarre! But I checked with the guard and it applies during the race weekend too which surprised me. From what I understood it was as a result of a ban on alcohol due to issues at football events but the rule was written in such a way that all other Spanish sporting events were covered under the new law.
There were a lot of cans on Estrella in the wheelie bin by the entry gate... and sadly so were mine!
That's just crazy! I mean... maybe sensible for football, I've been in Barcelona the evening after a match and it was insane. But F1 fans generally don't go OTT in the same way.There were a lot of cans on Estrella in the wheelie bin by the entry gate... and sadly so were mine!
I wonder if there is champagne and wine in hospitality?
TwentyFive said:
I've been twice (2018, 2019) and thoroughly enjoyed it.
I made a 2-3 day mini break out of it with my wife on both occasions, stayed in Barcelona and we had a day seeing the sites and a day at the track.
The circuit is a 30 minute train ride from Barcelona to Montmelo station and then you can either share a taxi from the train station with other fans to the track (5 mins). There were loads of taxis.
I opted to buy tickets on the gate rather than in advance which left me the flexibility to pick the day with the best weather to head to the track and spend the other in the city!
Access is good, you can walk around the whole track and sit in a range of stands. Front straight, braking area for turn 1 and the stadium section toward the end of the lap.
Worth noting you cannot buy beer at the track or even take it in with you, its a dry circuit and they check every bag! But there are food stalls and merchandise stands behind the main grandstand.
We used the Piso Boxes above the pits for Hospitality in 2018. I think it was around £200 each for the day and that included food and drink (you can get alcohol here). As part of that package we were allowed an hour to mull around the paddock. Met some drivers past and present.
For 2019 we just wandered around the general admission and if anything I enjoyed that more due to spending more time at other viewing areas really seeing the cars work, such as the inside of turn 3 and the uphill right hander at turn 9. We saw Gasly hit the wall there actually.
Hope that is of some use!
Thanks bud - very helpful!I made a 2-3 day mini break out of it with my wife on both occasions, stayed in Barcelona and we had a day seeing the sites and a day at the track.
The circuit is a 30 minute train ride from Barcelona to Montmelo station and then you can either share a taxi from the train station with other fans to the track (5 mins). There were loads of taxis.
I opted to buy tickets on the gate rather than in advance which left me the flexibility to pick the day with the best weather to head to the track and spend the other in the city!
Access is good, you can walk around the whole track and sit in a range of stands. Front straight, braking area for turn 1 and the stadium section toward the end of the lap.
Worth noting you cannot buy beer at the track or even take it in with you, its a dry circuit and they check every bag! But there are food stalls and merchandise stands behind the main grandstand.
We used the Piso Boxes above the pits for Hospitality in 2018. I think it was around £200 each for the day and that included food and drink (you can get alcohol here). As part of that package we were allowed an hour to mull around the paddock. Met some drivers past and present.
For 2019 we just wandered around the general admission and if anything I enjoyed that more due to spending more time at other viewing areas really seeing the cars work, such as the inside of turn 3 and the uphill right hander at turn 9. We saw Gasly hit the wall there actually.
Hope that is of some use!
Edited by TwentyFive on Thursday 13th February 13:32
TwentyFive said:
Yes there was the full range of alcoholic drinks available when I had the hospitality package above the pits which made the dry rule even more strange for me.
I think the general feeling in such situations is that it's the great un-washed rabble in the cheap seats that cause the problems 
I have been there for the past two years.
We also got full access to the paddock last year ( friend of a friend worked for Pirelli, and had a gander in the Torro Rosso pit, stood at the FIA garage during a VB77 pit stop and saw most of the drivers.
I have paid for the 109 Euro ticket this year.
TwentyFive said:
Worth noting you cannot buy beer at the track or even take it in with you, its a dry circuit and they check every bag! But there are food stalls and merchandise stands behind the main grandstand.
We have managed on both times to sneak in enough booze for the day. Maybe getting there first in the queue for the opening helps, so we walked to the far side of the track to get smashed in the sun whilst cheering Kimi every lap.We also got full access to the paddock last year ( friend of a friend worked for Pirelli, and had a gander in the Torro Rosso pit, stood at the FIA garage during a VB77 pit stop and saw most of the drivers.
I have paid for the 109 Euro ticket this year.
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