Friday at the 24 Hours of Le Mans was quite a memorable one as we enjoyed meeting a host of drivers at the city parade, but what made it even more special was to meet F1 team personnel from past & present who had congregated to the town of Le Mans to enjoy their bit of endurance racing!

We met personnel from Cosworth, Mercedes AMG Petronas F1, Ford and so many others in the trams, in the cafes and even in the bars! To rub shoulders with these heroes & hear their stories, no holds barred, made the trip worth it.

Eventually, we headed to bed to prepare ourselves for the marathon that beckoned us on Saturday.

Saturday morning arrived sooner than we expected and our day began at 7 am. After some coffee and croissants for breakfast, we headed out to the circuit, prepped and ready for the 24 hours of endurance!

Leaving for the circuit and taking the tram, which turned out to be a convenient conveyance :

Welcome to Circuit de la Sarthe! It was a 30-minute walk to the paddock from this entrance but it was well worth it!

Walking towards the paddock, also getting a chance to walk on the track tarmac ( which wasn't being used for the weekend of course) :

En route, we got to explore various fan experiences and stations erected by the organizers for the weekend!

The Manufacturers Village, an area consisting of makeshift pavilions created by the manufacturers competing in the WEC Championship :

NASCAR, Garage 56 featuring the winning team Hendrick Motorsports had a special entry at the Centenary Race of Le Mans, and was the star attraction in the Village :

The list of winners and our walk to the Paddock continued :

Finally, we reached where we needed to be!

The Ferrari Hospitality in the Paddock is quite a big area!

Lunch was almost ready and famished as we were, we went full send!

Post-lunch, I couldn't stop myself from running over and meeting some Ferrari superstars!

A moment with Pole Sitter Antonio Fuoco, Ferrari AF-Corse, Hypercar :

Exploring the vicinity of the Ferrari Hospitality and taking selfies too!

As the race start time neared, we had the opportunity to get onto the Grid! It would be my first grid walk ever and I wanted to enjoy every minute of it. We made our way to the grid through the garage and then the pit lane.

Helmets and gear are ready for the big race ahead!

Ferrari had a special guest for the weekend, Charles Leclerc! It was such an amazing feeling to see him up close and in a relaxed mood, not having to race but enjoying one as a spectator instead!

Charles Leclerc, Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team :

Walking through the pit lane as we make our way to the grid!

Moments on the actual tarmac, oh what a feeling!

Selfies on the Grid!

The grid walk is a busy place to be, and navigating through the crowd was an issue :

Cars from the grid walk, shot with the Sony RX10 IV :

Shots of the cars from the grid walk, taken with the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra :

Some stills of the Ferrari Hypercars on the grid! The Ferraris secured a front-row lockout!

We made our way back to the Paddock and then decided to rush over to Casa Ferrari, the team hospitality at the penultimate turn to witness the race start.

The stands and balconies of various hospitality buildings were full as the fans waited for the Centenary Race to begin!

The Centenary Race is a go & we already got a Safety Car on the Opening Lap!

Video Link to the Race Start :

Video Link to the Safety Car Deployed :

Race Restart ( Shot with the Sony RX10 IV ) ( Video Link ) :

Video with the Samsung S23 Ultra :

Shots of the cars navigating the Ford Chicane while a Cadillac Hypercar has front body damage and enters the pits :

The Ferraris navigating the last corner of the circuit :

Video Link of the cars battling it out!

Some of the Shots of Casa Ferrari :

Pizza and Ice cream anyone?

A couple of hours into the race, we decided to walk back to the Paddock and relax in the Hospitality building.

We entered the building and I met a close friend of Kimi Raikkonen!

Le Mans winner and a close ally of Ferrari, Toni Vilander :

Enjoying some evening snacks on offer inside the Ferrari Paddock Hospitality :

Nice to see the signatures of all the personnel on some of the bodywork of the Ferrari Hypercar!

The hospitality was abuzz with activity as the drivers of the cars were either returning from their stint or getting ready for one. I had the privilege of meeting Nicklas after his opening stint in Car No. 50

WEC Champion and Driver for Car No. 50 for Ferrari - AF Corse, Nicklas Nielsen!

The sun hadn't set yet ( European Summers ) but it was time for dinner already!

Time for some dinner, healthy again!

Post dinner, we decided to head back to Casa Ferrari to enjoy the racing at night and also capture some memories of these beautiful racing cars.

Shots of the Paddock at night, as we make our way to Casa Ferrari :

A fireworks display to celebrate the Centenary Race of the 24 Hours of Le Mans :

The Fireworks Display ( Video Link ) :

Shots from Casa Ferrari, the cars and the drivers epitomizing endurance racing, as they battle all odds to race to supremacy, through the night!

The Ferrari 499P Hypercar relentlessly competing in the darkness :

The Safety Cars being put through their paces throughout the night :

Racing through the night ( Video Link ) :

Enjoying some Pasta, a midnight binge indeed!

We then walked back to the Paddock to spend some time and relax in the Ferrari Hospitality. 

More than half the distance and still going strong!

It had been a hectic Saturday which began early morning and tested the endurance and resolve of both our body and mind. Despite the inclement weather and the walking from the Paddock to Casa Ferrari and back, we were still feeling fresh and soldiered on into Sunday.

I also did a two-part Vlog Series about our Saturday Experience at the Circuit!

Part 1 :

Part 2 :

The Sunday Experience follows soon, but first, a big thank you to Ferrari for their Hospitality on Saturday and for giving us all-access to experience the Centenary Edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. A truly special weekend was going to become even more special!

More to follow, so watch this space!

In the world of Motorsport, there is a term called "The Triple Crown". The title gets awarded to the racer that wins the Indy 500, Monaco Grand Prix ( F1 ) and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The three events pan three different racing classes. Many a racer has striven, but only Graham Hill accomplished this feat.

Although I have been an avid follower of Formula 1, there was always something appealing about the World Endurance Championship. Over the years, I slowly understood different aspects of this series and began following its hallmark event, the 24 Hours of Le Mans with enthusiasm. A true test of grit and endurance, watching a race non-stop for 24 hours was impossible, let alone seeing it live.

However, during the 2022 edition, I discovered that Le Mans would be having its Centenary Grand Prix in 2023! I decided to leave no stone unturned to be present for this special edition! 2023 was also the debut season for Ferrari in the Hypercar category and the Italian marquee roped in the services of Antonio Giovinazzi as one of its six drivers lineup for the season.  

With the pieces falling into place, I finally had an invite to be Giovinazzi's guest at the 24 Hours of Le Mans! After a lot of meticulous planning, which would see me attend the 2023 Spanish Grand Prix before the 24 Hours of Le Mans, I finally had my itinerary ready for this Motorsport-filled trip to Europe!

My friends Raul Martinez & his son Raul Jr were the partners in crime as we embarked on a mission to stay awake for the full 24 hours! 

So how did the weekend pan out? Was the schedule similar to that of F1? Motorsport Weekends, a new series on my blog, begins right here, right now!

The WEC Championship has practice sessions and qualifying sessions on Thursdays. Friday is reserved for support races and the Driver Parade through the city of Le Mans. Unlike F1, WEC has the parade through the city centre of the host city and the town gets decked up as if it's for a carnival!

We were yet to receive our race passes for the weekend and had a late start to the Friday. Nevertheless, we decided on a reconnaissance trip to the circuit to work out our commute options for the rest of the weekend! The easiest way, to and fro, was the tram!

Enroute to the Circuit :

Circuit de la Sarthe is the home to the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

We got to the circuit and walked around the periphery.

The entrance to the circuit and seeing some safety cars driving around the outskirts :

Soon enough, it was time to head back to the city to make it in time for the Drivers' Parade.

Walking to the starting point of the Drivers' Parade :

After a little wait, we finally got our passes!

The Race Passes for the weekend :

The square from where the Drivers' Parade commences :

There was a band that was playing some melodious tunes as they walked around the Parade Square.

Video Link :

As we made our way to the Parade Square entrance, I got a chance to bump into some of the contenders from the weekend!

Alex Lynn, Cadillac Racing, Hypercar :

Daniil Kvyat, Prema Racing, LMP2 :

Robin Frijns & Sean Gelael, Team WRT, LMP2 :

Alessandro Pier Guidi & Antonio Giovinazzi, Ferrari-AF Corse, Hypercar!

James Calado, Ferrari-AF Corse, Hypercar :

Jean-Eric Vergne, Peugeot, 9X8, Hypercar :

The drivers start heading out for the parade :

Some beauties, from the yesteryears and now!

Antonio Felix da Costa, Hertz Team JOTA, Hypercar :

Jack Aitken, Cadillac Action Express Racing, Hypercar :

Kamui Kobayashi & Mike Conway, Toyota Gazoo Racing, Hypercar :

Jose Maria Lopez, Toyota Gazoo Racing, Hypercar :

Jimmie Johnson, 7-time NASCAR Champion racing with a Camaro ZL1, Innovative Car Category :

Alexander Sims, Cadillac Action Express Racing, Hypercar :

Olli Caldwell, Memo Rojas & Andre Negrao, Alpine Elf Team, LMP2 :

Sarah Bovy, Rahel Frey, Michelle Gatting, Iron Dames, 911 RSR, LMGTE AM :

Loic Duval, Peugeot 9X8, Hypercar :

Nico Muller & Gustavo Menezes, Peugeot 9X8, Hypercar :

Malthe Jakobsen, Cool Racing, LMP2 :

Nicolas Lapierre, Cool Racing, LMP2 :

Alexandre Coigny, Cool Racing, LMP2 :

Pietro Fittipaldi, JOTA Oreca-07, LMP2 :

Andre Lotterer, Porsche Penske Motorsport, Hypercar & A WEC Legend!

Giedo van der Garde, Graff Racing, LMP2 :

Juan Manuel Correa & Filip Ugran, Prema Racing, LMP2 :

Ferdinand Habsburg, Austrian Royalty racing for Team WRT in LMP2 :

Mathieu Jaminet, Porshce Penske Motorsport, Hypercar :

Felipe Nasr, Porsche Penske Motorsport, Hypercar :

Dane Cameron & Michael Christensen, Porsche Penske Motorsport, Hypercar :

Laurens Vanthoor & Kevin Estre, Porsche Penske Motorsport, Hypercar :

With almost all the drivers leaving the square, I followed the Parade Path till the end of the Parade route!

Walking along the Parade path until the end of the parade itself :

Meeting the drivers wasn't the only special part of the weekend. We had the privilege of hanging out with some iconic mechanics who were associated with the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team and Cosworth! The experience was simply elevated to another level! 

I also created a Friday Experience Vlog on my YouTube channel that does a much better job of showcasing this weekend!

Video Link :

Although we didn't get to witness any on-track action, it had been a memorable opening day at the Centenary Edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans! A Big Thank you to Ferrari for giving us an indescribable experience!

More to follow from the WEC Weekend, so watch this space!

2023 has been an eventful year with motorsport events outside the world of F1 getting checked on my wishlist.

While the 2023 Spanish GP was my first F1 race of the season, I also had the opportunity to attend the Centenary Edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans!

Ever since I realized that Circuit de la Sarthe would complete 100 years of hosting the biggest event of the World Endurance Championship, I drew up plans to attend the event and it was a dream fulfilled!

Like any other weekend experience, the first post features meeting drivers and personnel from the racing series. Interestingly this is the 24th post in the Gallery of Memories series!

I met most of the drivers during the driver parade through the city on Friday and the rest over the race weekend.

Welcome to the latest edition of "A Gallery of Memories"!

Alex Lynn, Cadillac Racing, Hypercar :

Daniil Kvyat, Prema Racing, LMP2 :

Robin Frijns & Sean Gelael, Team WRT, LMP2 :

Alessandro Pier Guidi & Antonio Giovinazzi, Ferrari-AF Corse, Hypercar!

James Calado, Ferrari-AF Corse, Hypercar :

Jean-Eric Vergne, Peugeot, 9X8, Hypercar :

Antonio Felix da Costa, Hertz Team JOTA, Hypercar :

Jack Aitken, Cadillac Action Express Racing, Hypercar :

Kamui Kobayashi & Mike Conway, Toyota Gazoo Racing, Hypercar :

Jose Maria Lopez, Toyota Gazoo Racing, Hypercar :

Jimmie Johnson, 7-time NASCAR Champion racing with a Camaro ZL1, Innovative Car Category :

Scott Dixon & Sebastien Bourdais, Cadillac Racing, Hypercar :

Alexander Sims, Cadillac Action Express Racing, Hypercar :

Olli Caldwell, Memo Rojas & Andre Negrao, Alpine Elf Team, LMP2 :

Sarah Bovy, Rahel Frey, Michelle Gatting, Iron Dames, 911 RSR, LMGTE AM :

Loic Duval, Peugeot 9X8, Hypercar :

Nico Muller & Gustavo Menezes, Peugeot 9X8, Hypercar :

Malthe Jakobsen, Cool Racing, LMP2 :

Nicolas Lapierre, Cool Racing, LMP2 :

Alexandre Coigny, Cool Racing, LMP2 :

Pietro Fittipaldi, JOTA Oreca-07, LMP2 :

Andre Lotterer, Porsche Penske Motorsport, Hypercar & A WEC Legend!

Giedo van der Garde, Graff Racing, LMP2 :

Juan Manuel Correa & Filip Ugran, Prema Racing, LMP2 :

Ferdinand Habsburg, Austrian Royalty racing for Team WRT in LMP2 :

Mathieu Jaminet, Porshce Penske Motorsport, Hypercar :

Felipe Nasr, Porsche Penske Motorsport, Hypercar :

Dane Cameron & Michael Christensen, Porsche Penske Motorsport, Hypercar :

Laurens Vanthoor & Kevin Estre, Porsche Penske Motorsport, Hypercar :

Pole Sitter Antonio Fuoco, Ferrari AF-Corse, Hypercar :

Charles Leclerc, Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team :

WEC Champion and Driver for Car No. 50 for Ferrari - AF Corse, Nicklas Nielsen!

Will Stevens, Hertz Team Jota, Hypercar :

Neel Jani, former Le Mans Winner & P3 in LMP2 this year with Oreca-07 Gibson :

Sebastien Buemi, Great P2 for Toyota Gazoo Racing in the Hypercar Category :

It was truly a special weekend at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and, I am looking forward to documenting my experiences....

So watch this space!

Time truly flies when one is at a Formula 1 weekend and before I realized, Sunday was already here! It was Raceday and I decided to leave sooner to ensure a timely arrival at the circuit. Although the circuit is close to the city of Barcelona, the traffic situation along with the narrow access roads, more than doubled the travel time!

How indulging was race day at the Spanish GP? How did the home heroes fare? Here is a quick recap with some stills from Sunday, shot with the Sony RX10 IV and Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.

En route to the circuit. The traffic situation worsened on Sunday and I had to walk for 2 km to make it to the Paddock Club.

Finally, at the Paddock Club entrance :

The view of the circuit on Sunday Morning :

Starting the day with some Coffee and Croissants :

Post Breakfast, it was time to enjoy the action on track with the F2 Feature Race :

F2 Feature Race Formation Lap ( Video Link ) :

F2 Feature Race Start ( Video Link ) :

Shots from the F2 Feature Race :

Oliver Bearman won the Feature Race from Enzo Fittipaldi and Victor Martins. Jack Doohan finished in P6.

Right after the Feature Race, I had the opportunity to visit the Fan Village and I made the trek down to enjoy the atmosphere there :

I returned just in time to the Ferrari F1 Club to attend Carlos Sainz Jr.'s interview. The home hero had a front-row start and hoped to put pressure on Verstappen in the race.

Shortly after Carlos Sainz's interview, Team Principal Frederic Vasseur visited the Ferrari F1 Club :

Video Link to this Interview :

A Selfie with the Boss!

I decided to have lunch before the Pit Lane Walk on Sunday :

The Final Pit Lane Walk of the weekend :

Some shots with the Samsung S23 Ultra :

Post the Pit Lane Walk, it was time to grab a vantage spot for the Race Start! Shortly after I reserved my place, the Pit Lane got opened and the drivers headed out of their garages for sighting laps :

The mechanics wheeling the cars to the grid :

The grid is a hive of activity before the formation lap :

Famous faces, mostly footballers, gracing the F1 Spanish GP grid :

The drivers gathering for the National Anthem :

The drivers run back to relieve themselves before getting into the car :

The grid emptied of all non-essential personnel as the clock ran down to the formation lap start :

Time for the Formation Lap :

Video Link :

The 5 Red Lights went out and the Spanish GP was a go!

Video Links to the Race Start :

Shots from the Race :

The Scuderia Ferrari F1 drivers pushing throughout the race :

Charles Leclerc pitting during the Race ( Video Link ) :

The Pit Walls are busy with strategy calls :

Max Verstappen won the Spanish GP from Lewis Hamilton and George Russell. Carlos Sainz Jr could only manage P5, while Charles Leclerc was P11.

Video Link of the Chequered Flag at the end of the Race :

Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 personnel celebrating a double podium :

The drivers returning to Parc-Ferme after the race :

Post-Race Interviews of the Podium Finishers:

The gates open to allow the fans to enter the track and get close to the podium celebrations :

After my farewells to the hosts in the Paddock Club, I went downstairs to spend some time in the Paddock :

I got to meet some motorsport personalities during my time in the Paddock.

Mark Webber, Multi-race winner in F1 and a WEC Champion :

Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing F1 Team :

Nice to meet Billy Monger, racer turned presenter :

SHAKIRA!! No Introduction is needed!

Patrick Kluivert, Dutch Footballer who played for FC Barcelona :

Randy Mamola, a Moto GP Legend. He is such an amazing man to talk to about racing in general :

Liam Lawson, Red Bull Racing Reserve Driver, now driving for Scuderia Alpha Tauri F1 :

Andreas Seidl, Sauber Motorsports CEO :

David Coulthard, an F1 legend and currently a commentator & Red Bull Racing Ambassador :

Christian Horner, Team Principal, Oracle Red Bull Racing F1 Team :

Extreme E and Rally Racer Christine GZ :

Valtteri Bottas, Alfa Romeo Stake F1 Team :

Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Trackside Engineering Director :

Peter Bonnington, the man who says those famous words as his race engineer - "Ok Lewis, it's Hammer time!"

George Russell, Mercedes Petronas AMG F1 Team :

As I exited the circuit, I spent a moment at an Ayrton Senna memorial :

Returning to the city after a hectic Sunday :

I have also shared my Sunday Experience on my YouTube channel.

Video Link :

Although Scuderia Ferrari F1 failed to achieve a better result despite a promising weekend, it was still a fighting display by both Carlos Sainz Jr. and Charles Leclerc.

Thank you to the Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team and the Hosts of the Ferrari F1 Club for all the hospitality and care shown to me over the weekend. It was truly a memorable weekend, yet again! I am thankful to the Almighty for the privilege to attend these events and meet some famous people from the motorsports world and otherwise!

The Paddock Club Diaries will make a return soon, with experiences from the 2023 Belgian GP weekend. However, before that, I have to document my experience from the Centenary Race of the 24 Hours of Le Mans!

Excited to share about the WEC Weekend... soon!

It was an early morning start to the Saturday at the 2023 Spanish Grand Prix. Although the circuit is close to the city of Barcelona, the access roads to the circuit suffered from massive traffic jams. Eventually, I had to ditch my cab and walk more than a mile to make it to the Paddock Club entrance.

Enroute to the Circuit :

The Views on Saturday morning :

The decision to walk turned out to be the right one as I made it in time for the Charles Leclerc interview in the Ferrari F1 Club.

Video Link to the Interview :

A Selfie with Charles Leclerc!

Post the interview, I went downstairs to spend some time in the F1 Paddock :

I got the opportunity to meet some icons from the motorsport world!

2016 F1 World Champion and now a presenter, Nico Rosberg!

Ex-F1 Driver and Dakar Legend, Carlos Sainz Sr :

Mr Peter Sauber, the man who was instrumental in bringing some iconic drivers into the sport with his team Sauber F1 :

Spanish Racer Carmen Jorda :

I spent most of my time in the Scuderia Ferrari Garage during FP3 but witnessed Sargeant suffer a retirement in the session.

Verstappen was the quickest in FP3, from Perez and Hamilton. Sainz and Leclerc were P4 and P7 for Ferrari, respectively.

Lunch! Again, an amazing spread and the desserts give one a sugar rush!

Post-lunch, it was time for the Formula 2 Sprint Race. Jack Doohan's car had to go through some urgent repairs on the starting grid.

The drivers and cars are ready for the F2 Sprint :

F2 Sprint Race Formation Lap ( Video Link ) :

F2 Sprint Race Start ( Video Link ) :

Shots from the Sprint Race :

The track dried and the drivers switched to the Dry Tyres for the remainder of the Sprint.

Isack Hadjar Pit Stop ( Video Link ) :

Safety Car Period ( Video Link ) :

Race Restart after Safety Car ( Video Link ) :

Frederik Vesti won the F2 Sprint from Theo Pourchaire and Victor Martins. Jack Doohan finished in P5.

Chequered Flag ( Video Link ) :

The Sprint Race ended and it was time for the Formula 1 Qualifying session.

The teams and drivers inspecting track conditions before the start of Qualifying :

The cars line up at the end of the Pit Lane as the light goes green for Qualifying :

Shots from Q1 :

The session got red-flagged due to an excursion across the gravel for Albon, but soon enough, the track was fit for racing again. The Drivers lined up at the end of the Pit Lane to wait for the lights to go green :

Shots from the final attempts in Q1 :

The Scuderia Ferrari Drivers return to the garage :

Hamilton was the quickest in Q1 from Norris and Russell. Sainz was P4 but Leclerc got eliminated, which was a shock for everyone at Scuderia Ferrari.

Some Stills from Q2 :

Chequered Flag to signal the end of Q2 :

Verstappen topped Q2 from Norris and Sainz. Perez and Russell were the two shock eliminations in that session. The Mercedes duo also had a coming together, which resulted in some damage to Hamilton's car.

Shots from Q3 :

Verstappen bagged pole position from Carlos Sainz Jr and Lando Norris. 

Cars coming into Parc-Ferme post Qualifying :

The Top 3 Drivers giving Interviews post Qualifying :

The Paddock Club closed shortly after Qualifying but like Friday evening, the guests had the option of doing another Pit Lane Walk or being a part of the Paddock Club Track Truck Tour. I chose the latter as the expert hosts of the Paddock Club took us around for a lap of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

Some stills from the Paddock Club Track Truck Tour :

Video of the Tour of the Circuit :

F1 Academy Driver and an Expert Host in the Paddock Club, Nerea Marti :

Shots from the 2nd Pit Lane Walk of the day :

Met some more stars, from Motorsports and beyond!

Latvian Basketball Players - Kristaps Porzingis, Zanis Peiners and Rihards Ozolnieks :

Portuguese and Barcelona FC Footballer, Joao Felix!

Manchester United and English Footballer, Mason Mount :

Portuguese and Benfica FC Footballer Hugo Felix :

Logan Sargeant, Williams Racing F1 Team :

World Number 3 in Tennis, Daniil Medvedev :

Serge Gnabry, Bayern Munich FC and German Footballer :

Kevin Magnussen, Moneygram Haas F1 Team :

Mick Schumacher, Reserve Driver for Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team :

Chelsea FC and England Footballer Ben Chilwell :

Martin Whitmarsh, Aston Martin Group CEO & a man who accomplished so much in the 2000s with McLaren Mercedes :

Ex-F1 Driver and 2012 Spanish GP Winner Pastor Maldonado :

George Russell, Mercedes Petronas AMG F1 Team :

Arthur Leclerc, F2 Driver for DAMS Racing and Charles Leclerc's brother :

I bid goodbye to the Circuit but it was time to head for dinner with some friends, who would be joined by some mechanics from the Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team.

En route to a dinner with friends, both new and old!

An evening to remember, La Familia! It was great catching up with the ones who actually worked so hard to bring success to drivers and teams over the years. The mechanics are the true heartbeat of any team and it was amazing to interact and share a meal with the trust legends of F1.

It had been a long but memorable Saturday. My day began in the early hours of the morning but ended equally late at night. I also did a Vlog on my YouTube channel documenting my experience on Saturday.

Video Link :

Thank you to the Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team and the Hosts at the Ferrari F1 Club for an action-packed, memories-filled Saturday at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. There was joy in seeing Carlos Sainz Jr end up on the front row of the grid for the race but also sadness about the mechanical issues that Charles Leclerc suffered, which hampered his progress in Qualifying.

However, Sunday was a new day and the day that mattered! The Sunday Experience follows soon!

Hungary and Belgium were the two destinations I had the privilege of visiting in 2022 during the 2022 F1 World Championship.

I drew elaborate plans to attend not just F1 races but also other motorsport events in 2023. The dream turned into reality when I got the opportunity to attend the 2023 F1 Spanish Grand Prix, followed by the 24 Hours of Le Mans the following weekend!

My first trip to Europe in 2023 was truly memorable, and this is the start of the Paddock Club Diaries from the 2023 F1 Season. 

As always, let's begin with the Friday Experience of an F1 Grand Prix Weekend!

Enroute to the Circuit :

We first needed to visit the Team Hotel to pick up our Race Passes for the weekend :

Welcome to Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya! A truly beautiful Friday morning :

Coffee and Croissants to kickstart my day :

The views from the Ferrari F1 Club :

The Ferrari F1 Club, as always, Ferrari had a suite of their own!

It was soon time for the Formula 2 Practice Session to begin and here are some shots from that session :

Post-session, my friend and I decided to head down to the Paddock to enjoy some "behind the scenes" views!

As expected, I had the opportunity to meet some people from the Motorsport Fraternity, including some drivers from the 2023 grid.

Pedro De La Rosa, Aston Martin Racing Ambassador :

Laurent Mekies, Scuderia Ferrari F1 team Racing Director : 

Current F2 Champion and Aston Martin Racing Reserve Driver, Felipe Drugovich :

Aston Martin Racing Ambassador Jessica Hawkins :

Miguel Molina, Driver for Car Number 50 with Ferrari Hypercar in the World Endurance Championship :

Ralf Schumacher, an F1 Legend from the 2000s :

Nyck de Vries, Scuderia Alpha Tauri F1 Team :

Lawrence Stroll, the owner of Aston Martin Racing :

Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team :

Zhou Guanyu, Alfa Romeo Stake F1 Team :

Yuki Tsunoda, Scuderia Alpha Tauri F1 Team :

After spending some time in the Paddock, I walked across to the Pit Lane to be a part of the first pit lane walk of the weekend, beholding the 2023 cars up close!

Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team, practising pit stops :

Time for some lunch! A great spread of course, and oh, the Pizza is amazing!

While Lunch was served, it was time for some F1 action on track,and  Free Practice 1 got underway.

Shots from FP1 :

Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team during FP1  :

Charles Leclerc pits during FP1 for a Pit Stop ( Video Link ) :

Some stills with the Samsung S23 Ultra :

The Chequered Flag gets waved at the end of FP1 :

The drivers use the time after a practice session to practice their starts from the Grid Slots :

Video Link for the Practice Starts :

The Ferrari drivers returning to the Pits after FP1 :

Max Verstappen topped the timesheets from Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr. were P8 and P9, respectively.

After the session, Rupert Manwaring, Carlos Sainz's Performance Coach, visited the Ferrari F1 Club for an interview :

Video Link of the Interview :

I then headed to the Club Lounge to enjoy some light bites from the Food Stations there :

I returned in time to enjoy watching an interview with the Scuderia Ferrari Ambassador, Marc Gene :

Video Link of the Interview :

Free Practice 2 getting underway :

Scuderia Ferrari F1 during FP2 :

Some shots of FP2, with the Samsung S23 Ultra :

Drivers gaining more experience with their Practice Starts :

Sainz returning to the pits after a fruitful session at his home race :

Verstappen was the quickest again in FP2, from Alonso and Hulkenberg. Leclerc and Sainz improved to P6 and P7, respectively.

Post FP2, it was time to leave the Paddock Club and head downstairs for the second pit lane walk of the day.

Saying goodbye to the Paddock Club on Friday evening :

Shots from the Pit Lane walk, taken with the Sony RX10 IV :

Some Stills with the Samsung S23 Ultra :

Shots from the Scuderia Ferrari Garage during the Pit Lane walk :

Jack Doohan!

Davide Brivio, Alpine F1 Racing Director & formerly Team Manager for Ecstar Suzuki in Moto GP :

Meeting my Motorsports hero again, Mick Doohan! Such a joy it is to see him fighting fit as always!

Esteban Ocon, Alpine Racing F1 Team :

James Vowles, Williams Racing F1 Team Principal :

Returning to my hotel in Barcelona :

I have also shared my Friday Experience in a Vlog published on YouTube.

Video Link :

Thank you to the Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team and the Hosts of the Ferrari F1 Club for having me as a guest at the 2023 Spanish Grand Prix. It wasn't the strongest showing by the Ferrari drivers but the team looked positive for a better showing on  Saturday and Sunday.

The experiences from the rest of the weekend to follow shortly, so watch this space!

The First Race I had the privilege of attending in 2023 was the 2023 F1 Spanish Grand Prix. The trip to Spain was part of a rollercoaster tour across three countries in Europe where I had the blessing of attending 2 Motorsports events, back-to-back!

While this was my third visit to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, the Spanish GP didn't fail in giving me memories to last a lifetime, again!

So here starts the latest post in the Gallery of Memories series!

Pedro De La Rosa, Aston Martin Racing Ambassador :

Laurent Mekies, Scuderia Ferrari F1 team Racing Director : 

Current F2 Champion and Aston Martin Racing Reserve Driver, Felipe Drugovich :

Aston Martin Racing Ambassador Jessica Hawkins :

Miguel Molina, Driver for Car Number 50 with Ferrari Hypercar in the World Endurance Championship :

Ralf Schumacher, an F1 Legend from the 2000s :

Nyck de Vries, Scuderia Alpha Tauri F1 Team :

Lawrence Stroll, the owner of Aston Martin Racing :

Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team :

Zhou Guanyu, Alfa Romeo Stake F1 Team :

Yuki Tsunoda, Scuderia Alpha Tauri F1 Team :

Jack Doohan!

Davide Brivio, Alpine F1 Racing Director & formerly Team Manager for Ecstar Suzuki in Moto GP :

Meeting my Motorsports hero again, Mick Doohan! Such a joy it is to see him fighting fit as always!

Esteban Ocon, Alpine Racing F1 Team :

James Vowles, Williams Racing F1 Team Principal :

Charles Leclerc, Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team :

2016 F1 World Champion Nico Rosberg!

Ex-F1 Driver and Dakar Legend, Carlos Sainz Sr :

Mr Peter Sauber, the man who was instrumental in bringing some iconic drivers into the sport with his team Sauber F1 :

Spanish Racer Carmen Jorda :

F1 Academy Driver and an Expert Host in the Paddock Club, Nerea Marti :

Kristaps Porzingis, Latvian & Boston Celtics Basketball Player :

Portuguese and Chelsea FC Footballer, Joao Felix!

Chelsea FC and English Footballer, Mason Mount :

Portuguese and Benfica FC Footballer Hugo Felix :

Logan Sargeant, Williams Racing F1 Team :

World Number 3 in Tennis, Daniil Medvedev :

Serge Gnabry, Bayern Munich FC and German Footballer :

Kevin Magnussen, Moneygram Haas F1 Team :

Mick Schumacher, Reserve Driver for Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team :

Chelsea FC and England Footballer Ben Chilwell :

Martin Whitmarsh, Aston Martin Group CEO & a man who accomplished so much in the 2000s with McLaren Mercedes :

Ex-F1 Driver and 2012 Spanish GP Winner Pastor Maldonado :

George Russell, Mercedes Petronas AMG F1 Team :

Arthur Leclerc, F2 Driver for DAMS Racing and Charles Leclerc's brother :

Frederic Vasseur, Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team Principal :

Mark Webber, Multi-race winner in F1 and a WEC Champion :

Nice to meet Billy Monger :

Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing F1 Team :

SHAKIRA!! No Introduction is needed!

Patrick Kluivert, Dutch Footballer who played for FC Barcelona :

Randy Mamola, a Moto GP Legend. Such an amazing man to talk to about racing in general :

Liam Lawson, Red Bull Racing Reserve Driver :

Andreas Seidl, Sauber Motorsports CEO :

David Coulthard, an F1 legend and currently a commentator & Red Bull Racing Ambassador :

Christian Horner, Team Principal, Oracle Red Bull Racing F1 Team :

Extreme E and Rally Racer Christine GZ :

Valtteri Bottas, Alfa Romeo Stake F1 Team :

Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Trackside Engineering Director :

Peter Bonnington, the man who says those famous words as his race engineer - "Ok Lewis, it's Hammer time!"

An eventful and hectic weekend indeed. The F1 Race Weekend got soon followed by a weekend at Le Mans, which was also the centenary event of the 24 Hours of Le Mans! Updates from that weekend to follow soon!

A big thank you to the Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team for hosting me over the weekend. The Gallery of Memories returns soon, with updates from the 24 Hours of Le Mans! 

Wishing you all a lovely weekend till then!