Combining major sporting events, like Forumla 1, with travel plans
appeals to many. If you're like me, you might want to visit a Grand Prix race or two on
your travels. So, with one eye on the F1 calendar, I've done the research for you.
Lewis Hamilton made it to F1 World Champion, at the second
attempt, but will his McClaren set the pace this year?
I'm not a Formula One fan, in the truest sense of the word, but I do
like travelling and I do like being 'where
something is going on'.
I've been to many Grand Prix races in my time, and although Monaco
remains my favourite, there's a special atmosphere at all of these events.
Australia, when the Grand
Prix was held in Adelaide, was a real 'party atmosphere'.
Hindley Street was closed for the weekend and much of Adelaide turned
into an open grill, with the sizzling sausages and ice-cold 'tinnies' second only to
Christmas lunch on Bondi Beach.
The Australian Grand Prix used to be held at the end of the season;
summer, in Australia.
Now it gets the F1 racing season into gear.
In order to try and make the sport more interesting the powers that
be, the Federation Internationale
de l'Automobile (FIA), continue to introduce new rules to the sport of Formula 1 and
change the racing calendar from time to time.
In 2008 there were two new street circuits to visit: Valencia
(European Grand Prix) and Singapore (for night racing).
Abu Dhabi
Grand Prix, to be held at the Yas
Island Circuit, is on the starting grid this year.
While India and Korea were hoping to go to the races in 2010, it looks
like India might not make it until 2011, according to Bernie Ecclestone.
2010 Race Calendar
March 12-14th Bahrain Grand Prix Bahrain International Circuit
March 26-28th Australian Grand Prix Albert Park, Melbourne
April 2nd-4th Malaysian Grand Prix Sepang International Circuit
April 16-18th Chinese Grand Prix Shanghai International Circuit
May 7-9th Spanish Grand Prix Circuit de Catalunya
May 13-16th Monaco Grand Prix Monte-Carlo
May 28-30th Turkish Grand Prix Istanbul Park
June 11-13th Canadian Grand Prix Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal
June 25-27th European Grand Prix Valencia Street Circuit
July 9-11th British Grand Prix Silverstone
July 23-25th German Grand Prix Hockenheimring
July 30th-August 1st Hungarian Grand Prix Hungaroring
August 27-29th Belgian Grand Prix Spa-Francorchamps
September 10-12th Italian Grand Prix Monza
September 24-26th Singapore Grand Prix Singapore
October 8-10th Japanese Grand Prix Suzuka
October 22-24th Korean Grand Prix Jeonnam
November 5-7th Brazilian Grand Prix Interlagos
November 12-14th Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Yas Island
The main race is on the Sunday but you might like to plan for the
warm-up and qualifying days beforehand; where tickets are cheaper and you can often get
better photographs of the cars, without too many heads in the way.
Albert Park: (Melbourne
Hotels - Australia)
Stylish Melbourne is Australia's centre for shopping, restaurants,
sport, arts, culture and big events. And it doesn't get much bigger than the F1 weekend.
Australia might not be on the race calendar after 2010, if they don't
change their starting time, so get there while you can for Grand prix racing with a
'barbie' atmosphere.
Sepang Circuit: (Kuala
Lumpur Hotels - Malaysia)
Located in the heart of Malaysia's Multimedia Super Corridor, the
Sepang Circuit is only a 10-minute drive from Kuala
Lumpur International Airport - voted the 'World's Best Airport'; in the 2005 AETRA
awards and 2006 ACI-ASQ awards.
Shanghai
International Circuit: (Shanghai
Hotels - China)
Shaped like the Chinese character 'shang', the Shanghai Circuit made
its Formula 1 appearance in 2004.
The F1 Circuit is located five minutes from the northern part of the
suburban ring road; 40 minutes from People's Square.
Hong Qiao airport is about 30 minutes away.
Bahrain
International Circuit: (Manama
Hotels - Bahrain)
The only race to take place in the Middle East, the Gulf Air
Bahrain Grand Prix won the FIA Race Promoters' Trophy, for the organisation of the best
Grand Prix in 2004.
The BIC shuttle makes pick ups from the Ritz Carlton,
Sheraton, Radisson SAS,
Crowne Plaza,
Hilton, Regency
Intercontinental, Gulf,
Panorama, Novotel
Al Dana Resort, Movenpick and
Ramada
hotels.
Circuit de
Catalunya: (Barcelona
Hotels - Spain)
The Spanish Grand Prix is raced on the Circuit de Catalunya.
Sagalés
Coaches take spectators to the Circuit from the centre of Barcelona, at the junction
between Passeig de Sant Joan and Diputació St.; arriving at the Circuit’s East Area.
Or you could use the Montmeló railway station with the other 10,000 passengers.
Grand Prix de Monaco:
(Monte
Carlo Hotels - Monaco)
As you already know, the Monaco Grand Prix is my favourite.
As the race often co-incides with the Cannes Film Festival (13-24th May,
2009), some of the stars also make an apearance on the streets of Monte Carlo during race
weekend.
If you decide to drive to the South of France,
you can even take your car around the 'track' in the evening; when the street circuit is
open to the public.
True, you can drive around Monaco anytime but it is a little
special to drive around when the race barriers and chicane are in place.
Istanbul
Park: (Istanbul
Hotels - Turkey)
Turkey was a new addition to the Formula 1 race calendar for 2005. The
track is located in the Tuzla Tepeören area, on the Asia side of Istanbul.
It can get very hot in Turkey, during the summer, but June shouldn't
be too bad.
Although it's quite a trek up to Istanbul for the sun-worshippers
staying in the Mediterranean resort of Antalya, the journey is feasible from Izmir or
Ankara.
Silverstone:
(London
Hotels - United Kingdom)
Silverstone Circuit - current home of the British Grand Prix - is
situated on the A43, between Towcester and Brackley.
Exit the M40 at Junction 10 (from the South) and follow the A43
signposted to Northampton, or exit at the M40 at Junction 11 (from the North) and follow
the A422 to the A43.
Alternatively, you can exit the M1 at Junction 15a and follow signs
for the A43 Oxford.
Nürburgring:
(Adenau - Germany)
Formerly a European Grand Prix, Nürburgring (near Adenau) attracts German campers in their
thousands; the 300,000 square metre camping oasis is directly next to the Grand Prix
course.
Nurburgring lies 90km southwest of Cologne
or 60km northwest of Koblenz,
with the nearest airports at Köln-Bonn
(80km) and Düsseldorf (120km).
If you choose to drive, you'll be pleased to hear that the car-parking
is free. There may also be a bus-shuttle to Nürburgring, from the main station in
Koblenz.
The German Grand Prix now alternates between Hockenheim and
Nürburgring.
Hungaroring: (Budapest
Hotels - Hungary)
The Hungaroring circuit is 19km from the centre of Budapest, alongside the M3 motorway, near the
village of Mogyoród (map).
The track is in a natural valley, surrounded by 50 hectares of rolling
hillside. This amphitheatre setting gives spectators a magnificent view of the race from
just about anywhere around the course.
If you're in the Lake Balaton region, during Grand Prix weekend, there
are plenty of coaches (including race ticket) to Hungaroring for the Grand Prix.
Circuito
Urbano: (Valencia
Hotels - Spain)
Calling a Formula One race the European Grand Prix now seems another
way of saying this country has two Grand Prix events on the season's race calendar.
Whatever, the Valencia
street circuit (Street View)
made its F1 debut in 2008; an event I missed, but might get down to this year - fingers
crossed.
A lap is 5.473km with 25 turns; 14 left-handers and 11 right-handers.
With an estimated top speed of around 323km/h lap times could come in around the 1min 37s
mark.
Circuito Urbano
- Valencia:
A preview of how Europe's newest F1 street circuit looks, around the harbourside of
Valencia.
The Valencia street circuit should not to be confused with Circuit Valencia, a racing circuit located just
outside Cheste; 20km from Valencia.
If you are interested in Circuit Valencia, leave Valencia along
Avenida del Cid and take the A-3 dual carriageway, direction Madrid. After about 20km,
take exit 334 (Urbanizaciones - Circuito).
During race events, the circuit’s train station on the suburban
train (Cercanías) C-3 line is open for fans arriving by rail.
Autocares Buñol also
provide a Valencia-Cheste bus service.
Spa-Francorchamps: (Spa
Hotels - Belgium)
Not as bad as September, but Spa seems notorious for Grand Prix races
in the rain; so take an umbrella, just in case.
Although the original circuit was shortened in 1983, Spa still has the
longest lap length of all the Grand Prix race tracks.
Part of the course uses public roads and the whole setting, in the
rolling Ardennes hills, makes Spa-Francorchamps a favourite of many.
Centrally located (50km south-west of Aachen, 50km south of Maastricht
and 50km south-east of Liege), the circuit is easily accessible through motorways E40, E25
and E42; making this a popular race weekend for Formula 1 fans from England, France,
Germany and Holland.
Autodromo
Nazionale: (Monza
Hotels - Italy)
The Italian Grand Prix, not to be confused with the Imola Grand Prix
(also in Italy), has been raced at Monza for over 50 years.
Monza is located 15km north-east of Milan,
in northern Italy, and is an easy day-trip for race fans based in Switzerland.
Many Formula One fans travelling to Monza choose to stay around the
Lake Como area.
Singapore Grand Prix: (Singapore
Hotels - Singapore)
New to the Formula 1 calendar in 2008, the Singapore Grand Prix is
raced around the city state's Marina Bay at night; making it the first fully lit street
race in Formula One history.
With no lights on the cars and relying on powerful overhead lighting,
things could prove tricky if it rains.
The F1 Singapore Grand Prix was also the first street race to be held
in Asia and one of only a few races to run anticlockwise.
Earth
Singapore:
Experience the Singapore F1 route in 3D.
Formula 1 at
Night - Singapore:
At the Chingay Parade in February 2008, a night-time preview was given of what night-time
Formula One racing might look and feel like in Singapore, come September.
Mark Webber
Tests Singapore F1 Street Track:
Mark Webber drives around the Singapore GP Track in a Renault road car; as seen on the
Star Sports show.
Suzuka
Circuit: (Suzuka
Hotels - Japan)
Suzuka's figure of eight track is unique in Formula 1 racing.
After being dropped in 2007, for the Fuji Speedway, the Suzuka Circuit
returns to host the Japanese Grand Prix in 2009.
The racing in Japan will then alternate between the two circuits.
The closest airports to Suzuka are Nagaya and Osaka's Kansai
International.
Tokyo is further away but the bullet train is a comfortable enough
option of travelling to the race from the capital, if you prefer to stay in one of the Tokyo
Hotels.
Interlagos
Circuit: (São
Paulo Hotels - Brazil)
The Brazilians are almost as passionate about Formula 1 as they are
about football and samba. But then that's not surprising, considering they have produced
some racing car legends in Emerson Fittipaldi, Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna.
Now there's Rubens Barrichello, Nelsinho Piquet and Felipe Massa to
keep the Brazilian interest alive.
The Brazilian Grand Prix (Grande Prêmio do Brasil) is held at the
Autodromdo Jose Carlos Pace, in the Interlagos district of São Paulo.
On race days there is a special bus service to the autodromo from
downtown São Paulo.
Interlagos was the initial home of the Brazilian Grand Prix in the
1970's, then lost the event for a decade to Rio de Janeiro (Jacarepagua), before taking
the driving seat again in 1990.
Jacarepagua may be demolished, to allow the city of Rio to build new
facilities for its 2016 Olympic Games bid.
Yas Marina
Circuit: (Abu
Dhabi Hotels - UAE)
The Yas Marina Circuit is a newly-built circuit on Yas Island, about 30 minutes from the country's
capital, Abu Dhabi.
This becomes the second Formula One race track in the Middle East;
after Bahrain.
How To Get
There:
Access to the circuit will be by a purpose built 12 lane highway which can be accessed
from the Sheikh Maktoum (E10) highway from Abu Dhabi, or the Sheikh Zayed (E11) highway
from Dubai.
Canada
Circuit Gilles
Villeneuve: (Montreal
Hotels - Canada)
The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is beautifully situated on an island in
the St. Lawrence River and conveniently served by the Montreal metro system
(Jean-Drapeau).
2008 marked the 30th anniversary at the circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, but
it was dropped from the calendar for 2009.
When visiting the race circuit, it is advisable to wear comfortable
shoes and get to the circuit early, as you may have a 2km walk to your grandstand seat.
Connected to Île Sainte-Hélène and the Lachine Canal bike path, the
Circuit Gilles Villeneuve (on Île Notre-Dame) is also an ideal place for cyclists and
in-line skaters during the summer months.
It's no longer possible to spend a week in North America, visiting two
GP races, as Indianapolis has been dropped from the F1 calendar.
France
GP Magny-Cours: (Nevers
Hotels - France)
The French Formula One Grand Prix took first took place at Magny-Cours
in 1991 but was dropped for 2009.
A visit to Nevers, halfway
between Paris and Lyon, can be combined with a tour of the Loire Valley.
The Federation Francaise du Sport Automobile (FFSA) slashed their prices in 2008, to make the French
Grand Prix one of the cheapest races for European Formula 1 fans. Shuttle buses operate
from Nevers.
Germany
HockenheimRing:
(Hockenheim
Hotels - Germany)
The German Grand Prix, as opposed to the European Grand Prix (formerly
also held in Germany), usually takes place in the middle of summer.
Hockenheim
is easily accessible from Karlsruhe and Mannheim by train, where you'll find a shuttle
bus from the train station to the Ring. On foot, it's a good 30 minute walk from the
station.
The German Grand Prix will now alternate between Hockenheim and
Nürburgring.
Japan
Fuji
Speedway: (Oyama - Japan)
Grand Prix racing was first held in Japan in 1976, at the Fuji
circuit, then moved to Suzuka a decade later. Fuji made a return in 2007 but handed back
to Suzuka in 2009; when the two Japanese circuits will alternate holding the Grand Prix
races.
With Mount Fuji in the background (on a clear day), Oyama's Fuji
Speedway really does symbolise motor racing in Japan for the purists.
With Japan's efficient transportation network, getting to Fuiji Speedway is easy
enough; although the diagrams seem to have been put together by someone more conversant in
computer language than literary communication.
San Marino
Autodromo
Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari: (Imola
Hotels - Italy)
Although called the San Marino Grand Prix, it was actually raced in
Imola, Italy; from 1981 to 2006.
USA
US GP Indy: (Indianapolis
Hotels - USA)
The United States Grand Prix used to be held at Watkins Glen, then
Long Beach, Dallas, Detroit and Pheonix; before re-establishing itself again at Indianapolis - famous home of the Indy 500 - in 2000.
Although not on the calendar for 2008 or 2009, a possible Grand Prix
return to Indianapolis in the future has not been completely ruled out.
The Indianapolis
Motor Speedway is located on the west side of Indianapolis, close to Indianapolis
International Airport.
From I-465: Take Exit 16A, Crawfordsville Rd. Head east approximately
1.5 miles; the Speedway is located on the north east corner of Crawfordsville and
Georgetown Roads.
Fantasy
Racers:
If you are more than a traveller who likes to visit top sporting events and really know
about the drivers, you might enjoy this little competition. Join league 40652 - no
password required.
Michel.
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