Are You attending a 2019 Formula 1 Race??? I Need Your Help.

2018 was the first year I have not attended an F1 race since 2012. If I do in 2019 I'll reach out.

 

First and only race I've attended was the 2nd year at COTA, which was the last year of the V8's. It was fun and all, but I'd much rather watch any race on TV. Only exceptions would be Monaco because it's Monaco, and Spa, because MF'ing Spa.

 

My last time attending a F1 race was at Spa, the year that Kimi became world champion with Ferrari, 2007. Didn't see too much of the race though, my grandstand was packed with crazy Finnish blond girls...
As long as the halo-toilet seat is not abandoned, I don't intend to pay a ticket to go watch ugliness. Together with all the FIA rubbish, tricks, DRS, tyreshit , it all became more ridiculous than the funniest circus. Can't take this serious any longer.

 

I first attended a GP in 1961 at Spa (Phil Hill won) and went to 3 or 4 GPs every year for about 30 years when living on the continent.
I saw several French GPs at Paul Ricard and Magny Cours, many Belgian GPs at Spa, Nivelles and Zolder, the German GP in the old Nurburgring and Hockenheim, one Italian GP at Monza, one Dutch GP, and a Swedish GP too, etc ....
I gradually stopped going when TV coverage got better, and the internet also allowed me to follow a race better than at the track, IMO.
With age creeping, the cost of tickets being ludicrous and my return in UK, I contented going just to Silverstone, but even gave that up.
I will follow F1 for the rest of my life, I am sure, but I refuse to spend a penny on it, as it has become to commercial for my taste.
I cannot say the show got better though; it's very complex now, and too sanitised for me.
The best years were the 60s.

 

My rule now a days is that I only go with the Paddock club & as a sponsor guest.... usually get invited to a couple of races.. sadly not with Ferrari though. Attending an F-1 race with the crowds and poor viewing is pretty useless if you ask me. You don't even get good sound. Its WAY better on TV. the exceptions are:
Monaco for parties - terrible to watch the race
Monza is just spectacular no matter when...
Spa - rustic and the closest to old F-1 ... and you can see some impressive speed... but its a hike.

Have not been back to Sliverstone in a long time... but from what I see you are kept way back from the action... in any event paddock club is the way to go. ( I'm not being elitist - but its the only way you ever get close to the cars and drivers... sadly.)

 

That's my main gripe; they don't allow spectators to move to different places during the GP weekend as they used too.

Up to 30 years ago, I used to attend GP without a grandstand ticket, but walk around the track as much as allowed.

That way, I could look for the best viewing spots and watch practice, qualifs and the race from different locations.

Circuits don't allow that in our days, and want to park spectators in stands for them to stay on the same spot all weekend.

Not for me !!!

 

COTA lets you walk around, idk about other tracks.

 

Totally agree. you can still walk around Monza, and Barcelona and Spa, but you are in likely to see much other than a glimpse of cars. At most GP's - Monaco is the exception to a point, the entire track is surrounded by bill board walls, unless there is a grand stand there. I know they want to maximize TV revenue, but you could always place the signage above people and give them stand room views at different corners... Paddy McNally started all that back in the late 80s.

I remember from 88 to 89 the spots for photographers were drastically reduced, and it was more and more difficult to get around the track because of the signage. then in 1990, FIA started with the whole accredited journalist outlets, and surrendering your rights to your pictures in exchange for getting an FIA credential, we did it for 2 more years and then my dad said this is crazy and not financially viable so we stopped. ( I was able to use my FIA pass for an other season at most all tracks ... )

At COTA you can walk around the track - but the actual views of the hot track are pretty limited. I do like the motor home parking along the straight. that is nice. I whish they would open up all the infield for pedestrians only that would make for some good viewing.

At Monza - when I used to go, in the forest everyone used to block off their section using tape, or police tape - warning tape... so you could never really get up close to the track unless you were part of the spectators who were camping there. kind of in fair. The police used to scour the track just about an hour before the race and had these really mean dogs... and you had to be careful of not stepping in dog poo... which I did a couple of times, and the cops just thought that was hilarious....

 

I remember walking to different places on the Nordschleife at the Nurburgring during the week end, and the same at Spa. In fact, we used to spend the whole weekend at the track, sleeping in the car! People used to have barbecue in the evening, etc ... I watched one Belgian GP from the café that used to stand at La Source one year (they demolished it since).
No chance of that at Silverstone though! There, you need binoculars to see the cars, and it's crowded everywhere.
There was a bucolic atmosphere in following F1 many years ago that has been completely lost.

 

Last year I attended the Italian Gran Prix, but this year I'm still undecided which ones I will go.

I would love to go to Monaco but I think it's too late to get a package.

I plan to go at least to Hockenheim and Spielberg.

 

Completely agree.
Will be attending the Monaco GP this year, and getting out on the tarmac at Spa for the Classic in something old and interesting. Spa is simply stunning to circulate

 

That's the end of the note then !!!

He'll cash it in and buy me a drink
We Aussies "hate" a beer

 

We're fine for beer mate, we make it here now .... took us a while to work it out but all good now

Peter loves the F1 section, he's a converted LH fanboy now

 

No no no, it's just a general discussion re Ferrari rather than all the other stuff we're not interested in ...... like who's wearing pom poms on their shoes

 

The note at the Australian GP
With Moretti and jmillard308 and our new BFF
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and watching LeClerc
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and with a couple of the Ferrari Asia Pacific Challenge guys
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and with some tifosi
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With the Ferrari Asia Pacific Challenge cars
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A couple of young Tifosi with Dad and the note
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And just to prove it was actually there
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One Hundred Trillion Dollars, looking good in Montreal. (Special thanks to Seb for participating in the photo)