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Paddock Club Diaries - 2018 Belgian GP - Day 1

The second race I had the opportunity of attending in 2018 was the Belgian Grand Prix. Its become like an annual pilgrimage to be at Spa - Francorchamps simply because of how beautiful and amazing the track layout is. The weather is always impeccable not to mention the history of racing at this circuit.

Here is a small recap of how the weekend unfolded, starting with Friday.

My friend invited me over for dinner at the Radisson Blu in Spa on Thursday night. Scuderia Ferrari Team personnel stay there as well and my race passes were ready for pickup.

The Race Passes for the weekend :


I also had the opportunity of meeting 2 drivers at the hotel.

Sergio Perez, Racing Point Force India F1 Team :


The Professor! Alain Prost :


Friday morning was an early start from the Pullman in Aachen ( Germany ), a different destination to travel from. 

Enroute to the circuit. Friday Morning was really cold in Spa :


The Taxi service drops you a fair distance from the Circuit entrance, so be prepared to walk a bit : 


The Pit lane walk is the first event of the day for the guests since the Paddock Club doesn't open until 930 in the morning.

Shots from the Pit Lane Walk :

Scuderia Ferrari F1 Garage during the Pit Lane Walk :


Some teams also indulged in Pit Stop Practices.

McLaren F1 and Haas F1 Team Pit Stop Practices ( Video Link ) :




Racing Point Force India F1 Team Pit Stop Practice ( Video Link ) :



The Pit lane walk done and it was time to enjoy the sessions from the comfort of our suite :


The Motorhomes neatly arranged on Friday morning, ready for the weekend!


Free Practice 1 underway :


Scuderia Ferrari F1 during FP1 :


Sebastian Vettel was the fastest from Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton in FP1. Kimi Raikkonen was P4.


The lunch menu!


Lunch is served!


Desserts! The Mousse is unbelievable!!


Marc Gene visits us in the Ferrari F1 Suite for a quick rundown of the session and the experience gained from it by the team.


Soon it was time for the 2nd Pit Lane Walk of the day!


I got a chance to meet Renault Sport Academy and Russian Time F2 Driver Artem Markelov!


Time for some GoPro Action in the Pit Lane!


It was then time to head back and get ready for Free Practice 2 :


Kimi Raikkonen was the Fastest in FP2 followed by Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas.


I was down in the garage for the second half of FP2 and had an opportunity of taking in the sights of the Paddock :


I was loitering around the Paddock when I suddenly spotted Kimi Raikkonen walking towards me! I requested for a selfie..this was followed by a pause and then an "OK" My Day was made!!!


It didn't end there. I met many other famous figures from the Racing world.

Christian Horner, Red Bull Racing F1 Team Principal :


Mika Salo, ex-F1 Driver and now a FIA Steward :


Claire Williams, Deputy Team Principal Williams Martini F1 Racing Team :


Karun Chandok, ex-F1 Driver and Presenter for Channel 4 F1 :


Juan Pablo Montoya! The Legend!


I made it back to the Paddock Club and was admiring these racing beauties until it was time to head down for the Paddock Club Track Truck Tour!


bShots from the Track Truck Tour! 


Some more selfies with the GoPro!


It was then time to head back to Aachen Germany and the comfort of the Pullman! 

It was a great day at the Belgian Grand Prix and Ferrari looked strong for the rest of the weekend. 

Thank you to Scuderia Ferrari and their Hospitality team for a great Friday. Thank you to Edge Global Events for their flawless service as always.

Saturday and Sunday Experiences to follow soon!