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Posts for Tag: Canada GP

Paddock Club Diaries - 2019 Canadian GP - Day 3

The Paddock Club Diaries for this weekend draws to a close with the experience on Sunday, the day that matters. Its Raceday! Win on Sunday and all else is forgiven. It was also the day when I got the opportunity of having aĀ ļ»æPaddock PassĀ ļ»æfor the whole day.


So how was the Overall Experience? Lets have a quick recap!


Enroute to the Circuit :


I got my Paddock Pass at theĀ ļ»æF1 Experiences SuiteĀ ļ»æand wasted no time in getting downstairs.

Walking around the Paddock :


Some stills with the Samsung Note 9 :


Its pretty obvious that one would bump into some known faces in F1.


Alfa Romeo Racing F1 Team Manager Beat Zehnder!


Julien Simon-Chautemps, Kimi Raikkonen Race Engineer in Alfa Romeo Racing F1 Team :


Daniil Kvyat, Scuderia Toro Rosso F1 Team :


Mr. Giorgio Piola, Journalist, Technical Artist and Watchmaker!


Fredric Vasseur, Alfa Romeo Racing F1 Team Principal :


I made my way back up, just in time to see theĀ ļ»æFerrari Challenge CarsĀ ļ»æline up on the grid for their Race Start :


My friends atĀ ļ»æFerrariĀ ļ»æinformed me thatĀ ļ»æCharles LeClercĀ ļ»æwould be visiting their Suite for a quick Interview!


He was soon followed by theĀ ļ»æScuderia Ferrari F1 Team Principal Mattia Binotto :


It was then time for the final Pit Lane Walk of the Weekend!


Sportpesa Racing F1 Point Pit Stop Practice ( Video Link ) :


Slow Motion Edition :



Shots of theĀ ļ»æAlfa Romeo Racing F1 Team Garage :


The Teeam was busy practicing their pit stops :


Alfa Romeo Team Pit Stop Practice ( Video Link ) :


Slow Motion Edition :



I decided to pay theĀ ļ»æPaddock AreaĀ ļ»æanother visit and there was an atmosphere of tension, as is the case before the start of every race on Sunday :


Tom Stallard, Race Engineer for Carlos Sainz Jr. in McLaren Racing F1 Team :


Josef Leberer from Alfa Romeo Racing F1 Team :


A Quick bite before grabbing a vantage point for the Race Start :


Team Personnel venture out of the pits to make their way to the Grid :


Drivers roll out of their Garages for Sighting Laps :


Drivers going out for Sighting Laps ( Video Link ) :



The grid, a hub of activity :


ļ»æKimi & Co.Ā ļ»ægetting ready for battle!


The Cars rolled out of their grid slots for the Formation Lap and the Pit Crew were scrambling back to the Pits. The Grid has to be clear of personnel for the Race Start :


Formation Lap and Race Start ( Video Link ) :



Shots from the Race :


The StrickenĀ ļ»æMcLaren of Lando Norris with the Broken Rear Suspension :


Some more shots from the Race :


Video Links for Pit Stops during the Race :

Scuderia Toro Rosso F1 Team :



Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team :



Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team :



Alfa Romeo Racing F1 Team :



Haas Racing F1 Team :



ļ»æAlfa Romeo Racing F1 TeamĀ ļ»æduring the Race :


ļ»æLewis Hamilton won the Canadian Grand Prix after a controversial incident which saw Sebastian Vettel being penalised with a 5 second time penalty. Charles LeClerc finished 3rd. Antonio Giovinazzi & Kimi Raikkonen were P13 & P15 respectively, a disappointing result for Alfa Romeo Racing F1 Team.


The Podium finishers on Parc Ferme :


Driver Interviews underway.Ā ļ»æSebastian VettelĀ ļ»æwas nowhere to be seen. He attempted to see the Stewards regarding the incident. One of the Team Members had to restrain him from going to the Stewards before completing the Parc Ferme and Podium Formalities. The repurcussions of such a move would have been straight disqualification from the race!


ļ»æCharles LeClercĀ ļ»æbeing congratulated by the team :


Parc Ferme Video Link ( Part 1 ) :



ļ»æļ»æļ»æCharles LeClerc with Martin Brundle giving a quick debrief of his race :


Parc Ferme Video Link ( Part 2 ) :



The Podium finishers :


Podium Presentation Video Link :



National Anthem time :


Trophy Presentation Video Link :



ļ»æTrophy Presentation Time :


Time for some Champagne Shower :


ļ»æSebastian VettelĀ ļ»æfinally having a say about the result and the Stewards' verdict :


Video Link for Sebastian Vettel's Interview :



The Pit lane post the Podium celebrations :


I made my way back upstairs to say the final goodbyes to my friends atĀ ļ»æFerrariĀ ļ»æand have a selfie with theĀ ļ»æGoPro Hero 7 Black :


The Crew atĀ ļ»æF1 Experiences. Thank you for a great weekend :


They were kind enough to let me keep the Paddock Pass! This allowed me to roam and meet so many more people!


Jacques Villeneuve, 1997 F1 World Champion and Sky Sports F1 Italia Presenter :


Sir Franz Tost, Scuderia Toro Rosso F1 Team Principal :


Max Verstappen! Driver for Aston Martin Red Bull Racing F1 Team :


Antonio Giovinazzi! Alfa Romeo Racing F1 Team :


Kimi Raikkonen!! Yes Kimi Raikkonen!!! Alfa Romeo Racing F1 Team!


Ruth Buscombe from Alfa Romeo Racing F1 Team :


2009 F1 World Champion Jenson Button!


Sebastian Vettel, Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team :


Teams packing up to head back toĀ ļ»æEurope!ļ»æĀ 


And Thats a Wrap! I was disappointed about the result for theĀ ļ»æAlfa Romeos,Ā ļ»ænevertheless it was a wonderful weekend.Ā ļ»æMontrealĀ ļ»æis really a great track to visit. Highly recommend it!Ā ļ»æF1 Experiences ( Legends )Ā ļ»æis a great experience by itself. As good asĀ ļ»æTeam Hospitality?Ā ļ»æProbably not.

A Big Thank You toĀ ļ»æEdge Global EventsĀ ļ»æfor ensuring that I have a great weekend at the races. My next trip is toĀ ļ»æBelgiumĀ 

Paddock Club DiariesĀ ļ»æshall return then!

Paddock Club Diaries - 2019 Canadian GP - Day 2

Its an early start on Saturday for the teams with Pit Stop Practice followed by the final free practice of the weekend and Qualifying. Qualifying determines the starting order / grid for the race on Sunday.Ā ļ»æAlfa RomeoĀ ļ»æhad a tough Friday. Did their fortunes improve on Saturday? WereĀ ļ»æFerrariĀ ļ»æable to capitalize on their pace advantage and come out on top on Saturday?

The organisers had built a new Paddock Club facility for the circuit ( spending around 20 million Dollars! ), so it was nice to be a part of this inaugural weekend.

Lets have a quick recap of how the day unfolded.


Enroute to the Circuit :


The Boat Ride to the Paddock Club :


The Boat drops the guests right outside the entrance of the Paddock and sure enough you meet a lot of famous faces inĀ ļ»æF1.

Nicholas Latifi, Rokit Williams Racing F1 Team Reserve DriverĀ 


Brendan Hartley, Reserve Driver for Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team :


Lance Stroll, Driver for Racing Point F1 Team :


Coffee & Croissants anyone?


Shots fromĀ FP3 ;


Alfa Romeo Racing during FP3 :


The Pitwalls of all teams hard at work :


ļ»æļ»æCars returning to the Pits after FP3 ( Video Link ) :



ļ»æSebastian Vettel was fastest from Charles LeClerc and Lewis Hamilton in FP3. Antonio Giovinazzi and Kimi Raikkonen were P15 and P16 respectively.


Shortly after FP3 it was time for Lunch and the Pit Lane walk of the day.

Lunch, truly a global affair!


The Pit Lane Walk before Qualifying :


Selfie time with theĀ GoPro Hero 7 Black :


ļ»æļ»æAlfa Romeo Racing F1 Team Pit Stop Practice ( Video Link ) :



After a quick visit to the Pit Lane, I rushed back upstairs to be in time for the Podium visit. F1 Experiences takes its guests behind the scenes for a quick visit to the Cool Down Room ( a place where the top 3 Drivers are weighed and unwind after a gruelling race before heading out onto the Podium ).

The winner on the Top Step of the Podium. Since the Paddock Club has been revamped in Montreal so no one else has stood here before. We were among the first.


The View from the Podium. The area would be packed by Photographers, team members and fans after the race on Sunday!


Time for Qualifying! Shots fromĀ ļ»æQ1 :


ļ»æAlfa Romeo Racing F1 Team during Q1 :


Chequered Flag :


ļ»æKimi RaikkonenĀ ļ»æwas knocked out in Q1 :( a big big disappointment. TheĀ ļ»æAlfaĀ ļ»æjust wasn't quick enough.Ā ļ»æGiovinazziĀ ļ»æscraped through in 15th.Ā ļ»æSebastian VettelĀ ļ»æwas fastest in Q1 fromĀ ļ»æCharles LeClerc and Valtteri Bottas.


Q2 underway :


ļ»æAntonio Giovinazzi during Q2 :


ļ»æKevin MagnussenĀ ļ»æcrashed on his final run in Q2. He did go through Q3 but would take no further part.


ļ»æGiovinazziĀ ļ»æfinished in P13.Ā ļ»æMax Verstappen didn't make it to Q3 either and that was a big surprise. Lewis Hamilton was fastest in Q2 from Valtteri Bottas and Sebastian Vettel.Ā 


Q3 underway :


And that is the end ofĀ Qualifying :


Sebastian Vettel grabbed pole from Lewis Hamilton and Charles LeClerc. Finally Ferrari had something to cheer about on Saturday.

Cars returning to Parc-fermeĀ Ā for Post-Qualifying Interviews :


Sebastian Vettel in great mood at the Scuderia Ferrari F1 Suite :


Pierre Gasly, Aston Martin Red Bull Racing F1 Team :


Nice to see Memorabilia, Posters,Car displays and even Ice Hockey in the Paddock Club. Adds to the Ambience and brings a different kind of freshness and vibe.


Some Stills from the Porsche Cup :


It was time to say goodbye to the Paddock Club and hang around for a bit downstairs. The decision turned out to be quite fruitful, evident from the pictures that follow!

Sergio Perez, Sportpesa Racing Point F1 Team :


Matia Binotto, Team Principal for Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team :


Mr. Lawrence Stroll, Billionaire & Lance Stroll's Father :


Daniel Ricciardo, Renault Sport F1 Team :


Alexander Albon, Scuderia Toro Rosso F1 Team :


Cyril Abiteboul, Team Principal for Renault Sport F1 Team :


Christian Horner, Team Principal for Aston Martin Red Bull Racing F1 Team :


Adrian Newey, The Guru of Aerodynamics and Chief Technical Officer for Aston Martin Red Bull Racing F1 Team :


Otmar Szafnauer, Team Principal for Sportpesa Racing Point F1 Team :


Nico Hulkenberg, Renault Sport F1 Team :


Francois, a dear friend from Renault Sport F1 Team :


Paul Ripke, Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team official photographer :


Robert Kubica from Rokit Williams Racing F1 Team :


Guenther Steiner, Team Principal, Haas F1 Team :


Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing F1 Team :


Back to the Hotel :


It was an enjoyable Saturday in the Paddock Club ( barring the Qualifying result for theĀ ļ»æAlfa RomeosĀ ļ»æofcourse ). It would be a Long Sunday Afternoon forĀ ļ»æKimi & AntonioĀ ļ»æbut all hope wasn't lost for a good points finish. Once again thank you toĀ ļ»æEdge Global EventsĀ ļ»æfor organizing the passes.Ā 


Sunday Experience up next!

Paddock Club Diaries - 2019 Canadian GP - Day 1

The Canadian GPĀ is held in the city ofĀ MontrealĀ in the state ofĀ Quebec and has been on my to-do list for a long time. The Opportunity finally came in 2019, my first race of the season.Ā Kimi RaikkonenĀ had switched teams toĀ Alfa Romeo Racing F1 Team for 2019 and the "Italian Stallion" Antonio Giovinazzi would be his team-mate.Ā I decided to try theĀ F1 Experiences LegendsĀ sinceĀ Alfa RomeoĀ wasn't having a hospitality of their own.

TheĀ "Paddock Club Diaries"Ā make a return and this was Day 1 ( Friday ) from theĀ 2019 Canadian GP.


The Race Passes for the Weekend :


McLaren Racing F1 TeamĀ were staying at the same hotel and it was nice to meetĀ Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz Jr.

Lando Norris!Ā 


Carlos Sainz Jr.!


The Race Passes were made available trackside from Thursday and picking these up onĀ Friday MorningĀ was a bad bad decision. The pickup location was pretty poor and a good 20 minute shuttle bus ride away from the Casino entry point, the place of entry for Paddock Club Guests. This is something they must have a relook at.


Enroute to the Circuit :


The Circuit is on an island and the only way to get to the Paddock Area is via a boat! Now that is one way to arrive!


TheĀ F1 Experiences SuiteĀ at the Race :


The View from the Suite :


The traffic problems, time spent to collect passes and head to the Paddock meant that I missed the start of Free Practice 1.

Shots fromĀ Free Practice 1 :


Alfa Romeo Racing F1 Team during FP1 :


VSC deployed after an incident on Track


Cars returning to the Pit Lane until the Track gets clear again :


The cars go back out again :


Haas F1 Team Pit Stop Practice ( Video Link ) :



Renault Sport F1 Team Pit Stop Practice ( Video Link ) :



Alfa Romeo Racing F1 TeamĀ back ontrack :


Chequered Flag to bring an end to FP1 :


Cars returning to the Pits :


Lewis Hamilton was fastest in FP1 from Valtteri Bottas and Charles LeClerc. Kimi Raikkonen was P6 and Antonio Giovinazzi P14 for Alfa Romeo Racing F1 Team.


The Paddock in unwind after FP1 as Track is prepared for theĀ Ferrari ChallengeĀ Cars :


Esteban Gutierrez, test driver for Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team!

It was also time to head downstairs for the Pitlane Walk of the Day :


The Pit Lane Walk :


Alfa Romeo Racing F1 TeamĀ Garage :


Some Selfies with theĀ GoPro Hero 7 Black :


The Pit Lane walk ended and we made our way back to the Paddock Club :


Lunch is Served :


Free Practice 2 followed shortly after. Charles LeClerc was the fastest from Sebastian Vettel and Valtteri Bottas. Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi were P16 and P18 respectively.


Shots from Free Practice 2 :


Renault Sport F1 Team Pit Stop ( Video Link ) :



Alfa Romeo Racing F1 Team during FP2 :


Chequered Flag!


Time for the Boys to return to the Pits :


One of my friends was the Physio & Trainer for one of the Drivers inĀ Ferrari Challenge ( Ferrari Club Miami )Ā and I decided to head across the lake to say a quick hello. It was a nice feeling to have the whole boat to myself! These Boats would ferry guests from the Paddock Club entrance to the Support Race Paddock and back.


TheĀ Ferrari ChallengeĀ Cars heading down to the track for theirĀ Qualifying Session :


Video Link :



The Support Race Paddock :


The last activity of the day for the Paddock Club Guests was the much awaitedĀ Paddock Club Track Truck Tour!Ā The Guests board 2 trucks which take them for a lap around the track accompanied by aĀ Paddock Club Host and a Professional Racer ( here an ex-GP2 driver ).Ā 


The Track Truck Tour!Ā 


Shots with theĀ Samsung Note 9 :


Selfie time!


That was an amazing Track Truck Tour!


Video Link of the Entire Truck Tour ( Apologies for the shaky video ) :



It was now time to say goodbye to the Paddock Club and head back to the parking. However I decided to stop for sometime outside the Paddock Gates and surely enough, I met a couple of the drivers!

Charles LeClerc, Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team :


Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team :


Walking back to the Transfer back to the city :


Returning to the hotel :


I returned to the city and I must say thatĀ MontrealĀ lovesĀ F1.Ā The city was abuzz with activity all through the night.

I was walking down to see a friend over dinner and came across a Plethora of beauties along the way!


It was a great Friday at theĀ Canadian Grand Prix.Ā Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio GiovinazziĀ had mediocre days at the wheel and it was pretty evident that the race on Sunday would be one long afternoon. I still had hopes for Qualifying. A bigĀ Thank you toĀ Edge Global EventsĀ for organizing the Passes for the weekend.

The Saturday experience follows soon, so watch this space.

A Gallery of Memories - Part 18

TheĀ "Gallery of Memories"Ā makes a return in 2019, this time with photos from theĀ 2019 Canadian Grand PrixĀ weekend. I had the privilege of being inĀ MontrealĀ for the race and meeting theĀ F1 Fraternity.Ā 

I was a guest ofĀ F1 ExperiencesĀ this time in theĀ Legends SuiteĀ and hadĀ Full Day Paddock Access on Sunday.



Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Racing Team :


Carlos Sainz Jr., McLaren F1 Racing Team :


Esteban Gutierrez, Former F1 Driver and Reserve Driver for Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team :


Charles LeClerc, Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team!


Pierre Gasly, Aston Martin Red Bull Racing F1 Team :


Brendan Hartley, Reserve Driver for Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team :


Lance Stroll, Driver for Racing Point F1 Team :


Nicolas Latifi, Reserve Driver for Rokit Williams Racing F1 Team :


Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Driver :


Sergio Perez, Racing Point F1 Team :


Matia Binotto, Team Principal for Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team :


Lawrence Stroll :


Daniel Ricciardo, Renault Sport F1 Team :


Alexander Albon, Scuderia Toro Rosso F1 Team :


Cyril Abiteboul, Team Principal for Renault Sport F1 Team :


Christian Horner, Team Principal for Aston Martin Red Bull Racing F1 Team :


Adrian Newey, The Guru of Aerodynamics and Chief Technical Officer for Aston Martin Red Bull Racing F1 Team :


Otmar Szafnauer, Team Principal for Racing Point F1 Team :


Nico Hulkenberg, Renault Sport F1 Team :


Francois, a dear friend from Renault Sport F1 Team :


Paul Ripke, Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team official photographer :


Robert Kubica from Rokit Williams Racing F1 Team :


Guenther Steiner, Team Principal, Haas F1 Team :


Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing F1 Team :


Alfa Romeo Racing F1 Team Manager Beat Zehnder!


Josef Leberer from Alfa Romeo Racing F1 Team :


Tom Stallard, Race Engineer for Carlos Sainz Jr. in McLaren Racing F1 Team :


Julien Simon-Chautemps, Kimi Raikkonen Race Engineer in Alfa Romeo Racing F1 Team :


Daniil Kvyat, Scuderia Toro Rosso F1 Team :


Mr. Giorgio Piola, Journalist, Technical Artist and Watchmaker!


Fredric Vasseur, Alfa Romeo Racing F1 Team Principal :


Jacques Villeneuve, 1997 F1 World Champion and Sky Sports F1 Italia Presenter :


Sir Franz Tost, Scuderia Toro Rosso F1 Team Principal :


Max Verstappen! Driver for Aston Martin Red Bull Racing F1 Team :


Antonio Giovinazzi! Alfa Romeo Racing F1 Team :


Ruth Buscombe from Alfa Romeo Racing F1 Team :


2009 F1 World Champion Jenson Button!


Kimi Raikkonen!! Alfa Romeo Racing F1 Team now!


Sebastian Vettel, Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team :


TheĀ Paddock Club DiariesĀ from the race weekend follows next. Watch this Space!