The start of the European F1 Grand Prix, Valencia
“It’s like standing behind an aircraft when it’s taking off”; “the monotonous drone can send you to sleep”. This was what I heard from someone who had been before. Armed with these expectations I visited my first ever F1 race in Valencia, ready for a lot of noise and burning rubber. Having witnessed the event at first hand I have to disagree with my friend.
If you are heading to an F1 race anytime soon, here’s a few bits of advice that can help you to prepare in the best way for watching the race. This video is a great place to start, and gives a flavour of the noise, the speed and even the shameless sexism that abounds freely at such a race (keep your eyes on the giant screen behind the cars)
1. The noise. It is impossible to appreciate just how loud it is until you’re there. The sound can best be described as mosquito-like (x100000), with a decibel level that would outblast any aircraft engine. Our group stopped by a pharmacy on our way to the track and cleared them out of earplugs. Dubious at first as to the necessity to bring them, I was persuaded within a short moment that they would stand between me and permanent hearing damage. Even with these little cotton plugs the noise is overpowering. For the next few hours after the race expect to repeat anything you need to say to your fellow race-goers several times before they hear you.
F1 Grand Prix, Valencia
2. The glamour. With luxury yachts in the harbour, multi-million dollar mobile homes for the team members and Ferraris in the car park this is a world where material wealth speaks loud; those who run the show do so with a show of money that is both intriguing and distasteful. No wonder the tickets for the event are typicall in the €200 to €500 range – these trimmings need to be paid for. Look, but don’t touch, admire and accept with grace that this is not your world.
A track girl
3. The girls. Testosterone abounds at Formula 1. This is, after all, the ultimate glorification of the boy racer. An essential accessory to a boy’s race is of course a bevvy of scantily clad young ladies, and they are here in all their glory. Standing on the track for an hour before the race, these girls appeared positively bored while holding the national flags on the respective grid positions. I can only guess that there is a rigorous selection procedure for these highly sought-after posts.
Capturing a car racing past is not easy
4. The view. There are barriers everywhere. We enjoyed superb seats: right by the starting grid and opposite the pit lane. Yet the chance of capturing the main events of the day without a big metal grid obscuring your view is limited. Having seen the way that Mark Webber’s car left the track and flew through the Valencian summer sky, I do not begrudge these fences one bit. But be prepared for this if you have a seat that is close to the track.
5. Watching the race itself. The giant TV screens are a must. Without these the event would be a meaningless procession of racing cars, with no knowledge of who is doing what in the race. It was the first time I had attended a major sporting event where I could only see a fraction of the action, and where I was mainly relying on the same TV pictures as I could have enjoyed at home.
F1 is a spectacular show. It’s not about being a racing fanatic and getting absorbed in the technical aspects of the race; for that you will be better off watching it on TV, especially considering the price of the tickets. But for a show of glamour, fast cars and ear-splitting sound, it is hard to match. After many years of ambivalence about the sport, I’m glad that I can now finally say I’ve experienced a race for myself.
I was a guest of Land of Valencia, the Valencia Region Tourist Board as part of their #blogtripf1 event, with flights organised by the Spanish Tourist Office.
Interesting to hear point four. A few years back I was in Vancouver for an Indy Car race and I was practically deafened by the whine of the engines.
I’m not an F1 purest and find the whole spectacle wears a little thin after the initial crash fest of the first lap. Though I’m sure if I could score an invite onto one of the yachts my enhusiasm would pick up…
Thanks Adventure King. I actually had to leave before the end to make our flight, but like you say I felt I’d seen the highlights in the build-up, the setting up on the grid and the race start. It’s hard to get excited about the race as a spectator when you’re relying on the screen. The memorable part of the race for me is the atmosphere and the noise, rather than the competition for places.
Good observations. The best races to go to are the street/park circuits that are within the cities as you get so much closer to the action, and the atmosphere is amazing. The best F1 experience is probably Montreal in this respect (I went in 2007 and 2008) – the city just becomes a carnival for the weekend. Even my friends who are not into F1 at all got hooked, so its definitely an event for anybody – you don’t need to be a petrolhead!
Thanks Kristian. I agree with you – I reckon very few of our crowd could be classed as petrolheads, but all were enthralled by events at the race. It is a big, brash show that transforms its host city for a weekend at least.