The next post in the "Gallery of Memories" Series is from the 2019 Belgian Grand Prix. I was privileged to be a guest of Alfa Romeo Racing F1 Team and had Paddock Access on all days.

Truly this was a special weekend! 

Antii Pyrhonen, Team Manager for Red Bull IceOne Husqvarna Factory Team in Motocross & one of Kimi Raikkonen's closest friends. Truly one of the nicest people you will ever meet in the Paddock 

Jos Verstappen :

Nico Hulkenberg, Renault Sport F1 Team :

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

James Allison, Technical Director, Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Racing Team :

Jehan Daruwala, Indian Racer in F3 racing with Prema Racing Team :

Ottmar Szafnauer, CEO and Team Principal, Racing Point F1 Team :

James Vowles, Chief Strategist, Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Racing Team :

George Russell, Rokit Williams Racing F1 Team :

Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team :

Daniel Ricciardo, Renault Sport F1 Team :

Max Verstappen, Aston Martin Red Bull Racing F1 Team :

Alexander Albon, Aston Martin Red Bull Racing F1 Team :

Kimi Raikkonen! Yes its Kimi Raikkonen!! The Weekend is made!

Beat Zehnder, Team Manager for Alfa Romeo Racing F1 Team :

Mr. Kimmo Virtanen, Minttu Raikkonen's Father and Kimi Raikkonen's Father-in-law :

Toto Wolff, Team Principal, Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team :

Fredric Vasseur, Team Principal, Alfa Romeo Racing F1 Team :

Alfa Romeo Racing F1 Team Reserve Driver and Indy Racer Marcus Ericsson :

Charles Leclerc, Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team!

Triple World Champion and F1 Legend, Sir Jackie Stewart!

Stoffel Vandoorne!

Juan Pablo Montoya, another F1 legend!

Pietro Fittipaldi, grandson of Double World Champion Emerson Fittipaldi :

Cyril Abiteboul, Managing Director, Renault Sport F1 Racing Team :

Dylan Pereira, Supercup Porsche Carrera Cup Racing Driver :

Masahi Yamamoto, Managing Director for Honda Racing in F1 :

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

Pierre Gasly, Scuderia Toro Rosso F1 Team :

Sebastian Vettel! Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team!

Double World Champion in Formula E, ex F1 racer Jean-Eric Vergne :

Esteban Ocon, Reserve Driver for Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team :

The fighter Robert Kubica, Rokit Williams F1 Racing Team :

Daniil Kvyat, Scuderia Toro Rosso F1 Team :

Carlos Sainz Jr., McLaren Racing F1 Team :

Mark Webber and David Coulthard, highly successful Racers in F1 and beyond :

Heikki Kulta of Finnish Press :

Timo Glock, Ex-F1 and DTM Racer :

Brett Arnall, Mark Arnall's brother and my friend Kimi Raikkonen fan Jane Bleach : 

A Big Thank You to Alfa Romeo Racing F1 Team for their hospitality over the weekend!

This post is only a teaser to what follows..watch this space! Its the start of a new series in my Formula One Journeys!



The "Gallery of Memories" makes a return in 2019, this time with photos from the 2019 Canadian Grand Prix weekend. I had the privilege of being in Montreal for the race and meeting the F1 Fraternity. 

I was a guest of F1 Experiences this time in the Legends Suite and had 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 :

The Paddock Club Diaries from the race weekend follows next. Watch this Space!

I had the privilege of attending 3 races in 2018. I always desired to be at Kimi's final race with Ferrari and the 2018 Abu Dhabi GP was to be his last before his switch to Sauber F1 Team. 

The weekend experience begins with the Final "Gallery of Memories" post from 2018.

Charles LeClerc, Sauber F1 Team :

Emilia Bottas, Olympic swimmer for Finland and Valtteri Bottas' wife :

Gerhard Berger :

 

Flavio Briatore!

Lando Norris, F2 Driver who will graduate into F1 with McLaren for 2019.

George Russell, Current F2 Champion and Williams Racing driver in 2019 :

Billy Monger :

Chase Carey, the F1 Supremo :

Rami Raikkonen! ( Kimi's elder brother )

7 Time Nascar Sprint Champion Jimmie Johnson!

Jack Aitken, ART F2 Racer and a protegee of the Renault Sports Academy :

Steven Robertson, Kimi Raikkonen's Manager :

Victoria Verstappen, Max Verstappen's Sister :

Minttu Raikkonen, Kimi's wife! It was an honour to meet her!

KIMI RAIKKONEN!!

Tatiana Calderon, Sauber F1 Team Reserve Driver :

Fernando Alonso, McLaren F1 Driver and a Living Legend of the sport. We shall miss seeing him in 2019.

Esteban Ocon, Racing Point Force India F1 Team :

Marcus Ericsson, Sauber F1 Team. All the best to him for his endeavours in 2019.

Sergio Perez, Racing Point Force India F1 Team :

Toni Vilander, presenter for CMore F1 :

Michel Salgado, ex Real Madrid & Spanish Football Team defender :

Peter Sauber, the boss of the Sauber F1 Team and the man who got many talented drivers into F1 :

Pierre Gasly, Scuderia Toro Rosso F1 Team, will be in the A team in 2019 :

Alexander Wurz, ex F1 Driver and now a Steward :

The Paddock Club Diaries from the 2018 Abu Dhabi GP follow soon after. Watch this space!

The 2018 Belgian Grand Prix was the second race of the season that I had the opportunity of attending. The Circuit is in the beautiful town of Spa nestled in the Ardennes. The 3 day experience starts with the "Gallery of Memories" :

Sergio Perez, Sahara Force India F1 Team :

Alain Prost! 4 Time F1 World Champion and the man whose nickname is the "Professor" :

Artem Markelov, Renault Sport F1 Reserve Driver and Russian Time F2 Driver :

KIMI RAIKKONEN!! The weekend is made!

Juan Pablo Montoya! Ex F1 and Nascar Driver from Colombia. He was one fearless racer!

Karun Chandok, Ex F1 Driver from India and now with Channel 4 for F1 broadcasting :

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

Mika Salo, now a FIA Steward :

Christian Horner, Red Bull Racing F1 Team Principal :

Paddy Lowe of Williams Martini F1 Racing Team :

Callum Illot, Scuderia Ferrari Academy Driver in GP3 :

Jean Alesi, ex Ferrari F1 Driver :

Stoffel Vandoorne, McLaren Renault F1 Team :

Toni Vilander, Cmore F1 co-presenter and a close friend of Kimi Raikkonen :

Felix Rosenqvist, Mahindra Formula E Racer and Porsche GT Racer!

Tadsuke Makino, Russian Time F2 Driver :

Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team :

Antii Kontsas, Sebastian Vettel's Physio and Trainer :

Carlo Santi, Kimi's Race Engineer and Carlos, a part of Kimi's crew :

Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing Team :

Pierre Gasly, Scuderia Toro Rosso F1 Team :

Charles LeClerc, Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team :

Marcus Ericsson, Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team :

Kevin Magnussen, Haas F1 Team :

Romain Grosjean, Haas F1 Team :

Jolyon Palmer, ex GP2 Champion, ex F1 Driver and co-presenter for Channel 4 :

Mark Webber, ex - F1 driver and Channel 4 Presenter :

Sir Franz Tost, Scuderia Toro Rosso F1 Team Principal :

Noemi de Miguel of Movistar F1 :

There is a lot to write about the Friday, Saturday and Sunday Experiences. I shall be posting about these soon! Apologies for the delay.

The Big day had arrived. It was the day of the 2018 German Grand Prix. Ferrari had one hand on the winner's trophy after Sebastian Vettel's brilliant pole on Saturday. So did they? Lets relive the day!

The Paddock on a Sunday Morning. The Place is abuzz with activity!

I went for a walk and bumped into some F1 Fraternity!

Pierre Gasly, Scuderia Toro Rosso F1 Team :

Alexandre Molina, the man who is a regular feature at the podium ceremonies :

Antonio Giovinazzi, Scuderia Ferrari F1 Reserve Driver :

I headed back to the Paddock Club and was just in time for Maurizio Arrivabene, the Team Principal's interview in the club :

Video Link of the Interview :

A Moment with the man, cordial and friendly as always :

I then ran across to the Club Suite and met Brendan Hartley, the WEC Champion and Toro Rosso F1 Driver!

Brendan Hartley, Scuderia Toro Rosso F1 Team :

I got myself some lunch and as I walked back, was shocked to see Sebastian Vettel in the Ferrari F1 Club. He had come to see us before the scheduled time.

Video Link of the Interview :

Digging into some food :

I was one of the winners of the Golden Ticket, a Ticket that is placed in some F1 Race Programmes, the ticket enables you to be on the Truck Tour at the same time as the Drivers' Track Parade!

We waited for the truck to arrive and had front row seats as the Drivers headed out for the Track Parade.

Drivers' Track Parade Video Link : 

Still waiting for our truck. The main truck developed a technical snag so had to wait for the back-up :

On our way! The Track is ready for some action!

A special mention to the fans of Max Verstappen ( mainly Dutch ), better known as the Orange Army seated in the "Max Verstappen Stand".

I had the privilege of taking a Friend along on the Truck Tour. Some photos shot from the GoPro with my dear friend Jos Matthews!

The Truck tour ended and I just about had time to take some pictures before the Pit Lane shut for the guests.

The Drivers heading back to the Garage for the final time after bringing their cars on the grid. 

Grid Kids make their way to the front :

National Anthem time :

Getting ready for the Formation lap :

Formation Lap Video Link :

The 5 red lights illuminate and as they go out, the 2018 German Grand Prix is a go!

Race Start Video Link :

Some shots from the Race :

Scuderia Ferrari F1 during the Race :

A light drizzle caused a lot of unrest. Sebastian Vettel crashed into the barriers while leading the race while Lewis Hamilton stormed from P14 to take an unlikely victory. A massive blow to Vettel's title chances.

I got the chance of being at Parc-Ferme below the podium and was able to see the Interviews up close. Lewis Hamilton took victory from Valtteri Bottas and Kimi Raikkonen. 

Parc Ferme :

Podium Interviews :

The Drivers headed for the Podium and the heavens opened. It was quite a challenge to take photos in the pouring rain but it didn't come off as bad as expected.

Mechanics busy covering the cars as the rain got harder :

Bucketing down!

Drenched :

Some more shots of a rainy evening in Hockenheim :

The Paddock Club was going to shut for the weekend and Ferrari were kind enough to give me Paddock passes for the rest of the evening!

Kimi Raikkonen also sent me a special gift, an autographed mini-helmet! Thank you Iceman!

Photos with the Scuderia Ferrari F1 Club Team! Great hosts!

The Paddock after a race Sunday, tear-down, pack and head out :

Sunday evening is another great time to meet the famous faces from the world of F1.

Grace Capristo, German Artist who had the honour of singing the National Anthem before the Race.

Toto Wolff, Team Principal for Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team :

Robert Kubica, reserve driver for Williams Martini Racing F1 Team :

Paul Ripke, Photographer for Mercedes AMG F1 Team :

Matteo Bonciani, head of F1 Communications for FIA :

Riccardo Adami, Sebastian Vettel's Race Engineer in Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team :

Rosanna Tennant, presenter and host for F1 :

Lance Stroll, Williams Martini F1 Racing :

Nico Rosberg, 2016 F1 World Champion :

Will Buxton, Broadcaster and Journalist in F1 :

Carlos Sainz Jr., Renault Sport F1 Team :

Esteban Ocon, Sahara Force India F1 :

Bye bye Paddock, see you in Belgium :

Time to head back to Mannheim :

The German Grand Prix was a great experience. Sebastian Vettel's mistake which cost him a certain victory was a sad sight to behold, however a lot of races still remained to turn the tables. Kimi Raikkonen, my favourite stayed consistent as ever and I was happy to be under the podium under the pouring rain and celebrate his P3.

Belgian Grand Prix was the next race that I got a chance of attending. The experience will be documented soon. Once again, thank you to the Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team and the hosts in the Ferrari F1 Club for the all the love and hospitality. Thank you to Edge Global Events for ensuring that nothing was out of order over the weekend. 

Saturday morning at the 2018 German GP began at 7 in the morning. I got out of my room, rushed to the Elevator and bumped into Bernd Maylander, the Safety Car Driver! 

Soon enough, I hailed a taxi for Hockenheim and I was on my way.

Way to the Circuit :

I was in time for the Saturday Morning Paddock Club Track Truck Tour! Our guides all suited up for a hectic day :

Shots from the Truck Tour :

Some stills with the GoPro Hero 5 Black :

The Truck Tour done, it was still a bit early for the Paddock Club to open and welcome its guests. I chose to stand outside the Paddock Entrance where Mechanics were waiting for the FIA Curfew to be lifted.

Beat Zehnder of Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team ( Kimi's close friend ) :

Peter Bonnington, Race Engineer for Lewis Hamilton :

Norbert Haug, a legend from the Kimi years in McLaren and Former Vice President of Mercedes Motorsport :

Mattia Binotto of Scuderia Ferrari, Gene Haas ( Team Owner ) and Guenther Steiner ( Team Principal ) of Haas F1 Team :

Shots from the Pit Lane in the morning :

Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team Mechanics doing some stretching exercises before practicing some pit-stops.

Scuderia Ferrari F1 Pit Stop Practice ( Video Links ) :

Scuderia Toro Rosso F1 Pit Stop Practice ( Video Link ) :

Pierre Gasly's car being fired up before FP3 ( Video Links ) :

 

The Paddock Club opened for the guests and the first interview of the day was of the Honey Badger Daniel Ricciardo!

Daniel Ricciardo, Aston Martin Red Bull Racing F1 Team :

I was trying out some simulators when I suddenly saw a legend from the corner of my eye. It was Mika Hakkinen! The man who made me fall in love with F1. The Man whom I adored before Kimi Raikkonen. It was a great conversation with him as he shared a lot from the past. One of the friendliest people in the Paddock.

Nico Hulkenberg, Renault Sport F1 Team :

The heavens opened before FP3 and we had a totally wet session before qualifying with limited running.

Some shots from FP3 :

Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team during FP3 :

Chequered Flag :

Antonio Giovinazzi, Scuderia Ferrari F1 Reserve Driver joined us after the session for a quick Q&A :

Video Link to the Interview :

Antonio returned to the Paddock Area and it was time to head down for the final pit lane walk of the day. Some stills :

McLaren 720 S, a Masterpiece on 4 Wheels, one of the cars used in the Pirelli Hot Laps Experience :

We headed back to the Paddock Club and Lunch was served.

Lunch! The Chocolate Mousse is so good!!

A quick meal and it was time to get prepped for Qualifying!

Shots from Q1 :

Kimi Raikkonen was the fastest in Q1 from Sebastian Vettel and Valtteri Bottas.

Shots from Q2. 

Q2 was stopped due to a Red Flag and a major upset had occurred. Lewis Hamilton suffered from a Mechanical Failure on his car during his outlap. A big blow to his chances for the weekend. He eventually started 14th on the grid alongwith Daniel Ricciardo who started at 15th. 

Valtteri Bottas set the Fastest time in Q2, Verstappen and Raikkonen hot on his heels.

I spent the rest of the Q2 Session and a major part of Q3 in the Garage.

Some shots of Q3 :

Sebastian Vettel came to the fore again and grabbed pole at his home race. Valtteri Bottas and Kimi Raikkonen completed the top 3. It would be a good place to start from on Sunday.

Kimi Raikkonen visited the guests in the Scuderia Ferrari F1 Club for a quick Q&A :

Video Link of the Interview :

There was no F2 in Germany and after some nice evening tea, it was time to head back.

The Paddock on a Saturday Evening after a frenetic qualifying :

I made my way back to the Transfer point and happened to meet a few faces from the F1 circus!

Jacques Villeneuve, 1997 F1 Champion and Sky Italia F1 Co-presenter :

Joe Saward, A renowned and respected F1 Reporter :

Mervi Kallio, the presenter for Finnish TV MTV F1 :

Mara Sangiorgio, Sky Italia F1 Co-presenter :

The Folks at Do&Co, offering us great hospitality always :

Federica Masolin, Sky Sports F1 Italia Presenter :

On the way back to Mannheim :

It was a long but very enjoyable Saturday at the German Grand Prix. Saturday was good, Sunday should be even better!

I would like to thank the folks at Scuderia Ferrari F1 for the Hospitality extended to me over the weekend. A big thank you to Edge Global Events for the organizing of the passes. 

A lot happened on the Sunday..will be documented soon!

The German GP returned to the F1 Calendar after a hiatus in 2017. Hockenheimring, the circuit in the region of Baden-Württemberg hosted the race. I had the privilege of being there in 2014, my first race as a guest of Ferrari and with Kimi leaving for Sauber in 2019, it was befitting that I be here as a guest of the team again. 

The German Grand Prix was held from the 20th to 22nd of July and this year I chose to stay in Mannheim, a city that is just a 30 minute drive from the circuit. Mannheim and Heidelberg are both great towns to stay over a race weekend. Frankfurt is a 75 minute drive from these cities / towns. 

I drove to Heidelberg for my race passes.

The Race Passes for the Weekend :

An early morning start on Friday to make it in time for the First Pit Lane walk of the weekend.

Enroute to the Circuit :

Friday Morning Pit Lane Walk :

Scuderia Ferrari F1 getting ready before FP1 :

Shots with the GoPro Hero 5 Black :

Kimi Raikkonen Car's Systems Check ( Shot with Samsung Note 8 ), Video Link :

Kimi Raikkonen Car's Systems Check ( Shot with Nikon B700 ), Video Link :

The Pit Lane walk done, the Paddock Club was ready to usher in the guests on the Friday.

Entering into the Paddock Club :

The Ferrari F1 Club, our race weekend abode :

Chase Carey, CEO & Executive Chairman of F1, he is a regular in the Paddock Club maintaining a keen eye on how the product is running:

Soon enough it was time for the start of Free Practice 1.

Pit walls occupied by the top bosses of the teams :

FP1 underway :

Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team during FP1 :

Chequered Flag :

Daniel Ricciardo was the fastest of the session, four thousandths of a second separating Lewis Hamilton and him. Max Verstappen was third with the Ferraris of Vettel and Raikkonen in 4th and 6th respectively.

Marc Gene joined us to brief the guests after FP1 and explore the team's prospects for the weekend :

Lunch is served, I prefer sticking to the tried and tested!

Ice Cream anyone?

A fun feature happening in the Media Pen with Sky Sports F1 :

The 2nd pit lane walk coincided with the First Track Truck Tour of the day and I didn't wanna miss the opportunity of exploring the challenges the circuit poses for the drivers.

A Selfie with legends - James Towers, Sam Powers, William ( Hosts of F1 Paddock Club with a fair bit of racing history under their belts ), Philipp Frommenwiler ( Endurance Racing ) and Jos Matthews, my dear friend and a thorough Tifosi at heart.

Track Truck Tour ( Video Link ) :

Free Practice 2 commenced and I was in the Garage for most of the session. Some stills from FP2 :

Max Verstappen was the fastest in FP2 from Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas. Vettel and Raikkonen were P4 and P5 respectively.

Ferrari were kind enough to let us be in the Paddock after the session and roam in the most coveted area for a couple of hours!

Soon enough, I got to meet some F1 Fraternity!

Charles Leclerc, Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team :

Dr. Helmut Marko of Red Bull Racing!

The cars from Pirelli Hot Laps and a Porsche Racing Simulator in the Paddock Club! Wow!

We had to wait before heading to the 2nd truck tour of the day due to cars from the Boss GP Series making their way back after qualifying. These are Old Vintage F1 race cars privately run by their respective owners in the series!

Shots from the Evening Track Truck Tour :

Tour done and it was time to head back to the Radisson Blu in Mannheim!

Returning to Mannheim :

It was a pretty hot Friday at Hockenheim but an enjoyable one nonetheless! Ferrari looked off the pace on Friday but mainly because they were sand-bagging. 

Thank you to Edge Global Events for arranging the passes for the weekend and Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team for their Hospitality. Saturday and Sunday Experiences to follow soon.

The German Grand Prix made a return to the F1 Calendar this year and the race was held at Hockenheimring. I was fortunate to be a part of the same and the first blog post from the weekend kicks off with the "Gallery of Memories"

Chase Carey, CEO and Executive Chairman of the Formula One Group :

Dr. Helmut Marko, Head of Red Bull's Driver Development Program and advisor to Red Bull Racing F1 Team :

Charles Leclerc, Alfa-Romeo Sauber F1 Team!

Bernd Maylander, FIA Safety Car Driver :

Joe Saward, F1 Journalist :

Mervi Kallio, Finnish TV MTV Presenter :

Mara Sangiorgio, Sky F1 Italia Journalist!

Federica Masolin, Presenter for Sky Italia F1 :

Jacques Villeneuve, 1997 F1 World Champion :

The Man who made me fall in love with F1, Mika Hakkinen, 1998 and 1999 F1 World Champion! A LEGEND!!!

Nico Hulkenberg, Renault Sport F1 Team :

Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing F1 Team :

Peter Bonnington, Race Engineer for Lewis Hamilton :

Norbert Haug, a legend from the Kimi years in McLaren and Former Vice President of Mercedes Motorsport :

Mattia Binotto of Scuderia Ferrari, Gene Haas ( Team Owner ) and Guenther Steiner ( Team Principal ) of Haas F1 Team :

Beat Zehnder of Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team :

Pierre Gasly, Scuderia Toro Rosso F1 Team :

Grace Capristo, German Artist who had the honour of singing the National Anthem before the Race.

Brendon Hartley, Scuderia Toro Rosso F1 Team :

Maurizio Arrivabene, Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team Principal :

Antonio Giovinazzi, Reserve Driver for Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team :

Alexander Molina, Marketing Operations, F1 Hospitality :

Toto Wolff, Team Principal for Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team :

Robert Kubica, reserve driver for Williams Martini Racing F1 Team. Nice to see him back in the Paddock.

Paul Ripke, Photographer for Mercedes AMG F1 Team :

Lewis Hamilton, 4 time World Champion and Driver for Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team :

Matteo Bonciani, head of F1 Communications for FIA :

Riccardo Adami, Sebastian Vettel's Race Engineer in Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team :

Rosanna Tennant, presenter and host for F1 :

Lance Stroll, Williams Martini F1 Racing :

Nico Rosberg, 2016 F1 World Champion :

Will Buxton, Broadcaster and Journalist in F1 :

Carlos Sainz Jr., Renault Sport F1 Team :

Esteban Ocon, Sahara Force India F1 Team :

Paddock Club Diaries to follow soon, so watch this space!

Sunday had arrived! D day! The Day that mattered! Friday and Saturday's performances are meaningless if a team or driver can't perform on the Sunday!

Race Day beckoned and once again it was an early start to the day. The Commute from Hasselt could easily take a good 2 hours..so it was imperative to head out at 630 in the morning.

Enroute to the Circuit :

Croissants for Breakfast!

The Second Event of the day was the Formula 2 Sprint Race. I was busy shopping in the F1 Village hence missed Race 2 of GP3.

Formula 2 Sprint Race Formation Lap ( Video Link ) :

 

Formula 2 Sprint Race Start ( Video Link ) :

 

Lap 1 of Formula 2 Sprint Race ( Video Link ) :

 

Formula 2 ended and we were joined by Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team Principal Maurizio Arrivabene in the Ferrari F1 Club :

A Moment with the Man :

Maurizio Arrivabene in the Ferrari F1 Club ( Video Link ) :

Kimi Raikkonen then visited the club for a quick Q&A!

I had to run behind him to click this. He did stop but my phone camera failed me! This was the best I could do! Next time..

Kimi Raikkonen Interview in the Ferrari F1 Club ( Video Link ) :

 

A Quick lunch before heading down for the final pit lane walk of the weekend!

Shots from the Pit Lane Walk :

Mick Schumacher driving his father's Benetton!

Some Stills with the GoPro Hero5 Black :

Gino Rosato from Ferrari :

Time to return to the Paddock Club and grab a vantage point for the race!

Cars heading out for the sighting laps as the pit lane opens :

Team Personnel, celebrities make their way to the grid :

Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team readying their grid slots :

5 minutes to the Race Start :

Kimi Raikkonen doing a final run through with his strategists :

The Grid gearing up for the start of the Formation Lap..the tension mounts!

The Clock winds down and we are ready for the Formation Lap before the Start of the Belgian GP!

Formation Lap ( Video Link ) :

 

Race Start ( Video Link ) :

Lap 1 of the 2017 Belgian Grand Prix ( Video Link ) :

 

Shots from the Belgian Grand Prix :

Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team fighting it out in the Belgian Grand Prix :

Chequered Flag ( Video Link ) :




Lewis Hamilton took victory from Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo. Kimi Raikkonen finished P4 while Valtteri Bottas had a race to forget in P5.


Cars returning to Parc Ferme :

The Podium Celebrations!!

Crowds allowed to run onto the track after the race and join in the celebrations

Mechanics rolling the cars back to the garages post race :

Lewis Hamilton decides to join his faithful and do some crowd-surfing.

Scuderia Ferrari were gracious enough to bring Vettel's P2 Trophy to the Paddock Club.

With Sebastian's P2 Trophy :

Some more pics with Friends over the weekend.

A Selfie with the Hosts in the Ferrari F1 Club :

Packing up to head to Monza which was only a week away, so the turnaround time was short.

Enjoying the Track Walk after the Race!

Massimo Rivola, Scuderia Ferrari Academy Supremo :

Carlos Sainz, Scuderia Toro Rosso F1 Team :

Sir Franz Tost, Team Principal, Scuderia Toro Rosso F1 Team :

Daniil Kvyat, Scuderia Toro Rosso F1 Team :

Moko!

Silvia Hoffer, McLaren F1 Team PR and one of the oldest faces in the paddock :

Mark Arnall and Kimi's Partner in Ice One Racing ( Motocross ) :

Giuliano Alesi, Jean Alesi's son & Scuderia Ferrari Academy Driver in GP3 :

Returning to Hasselt from Spa :

It was a memorable weekend in Spa and I would like to thank Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team for the Hospitality and the graciousness shown to me over the weekend. Of course Kimi Raikkonen just missing out on the podium was a disappointment but the team had a great weekend nonetheless. A big thank you to Edge Global Events for ensuring nothing was out of place and ensuring that I had an enjoyable weekend.

Sadly this marks the end of the Paddock Club Diaries for 2017. The Diaries shall return in the 2018 Season!

Saturday Mornings mean an early start when one attends a Formula One Race Weekend. The Day begins with a Paddock Club Track Truck Tour, followed by the morning Pit Lane Walk where Paddock Club Guests can see teams practice their pit stops up-close. Free Practice 3 takes place in the morning where teams run their Qualifying setups followed later by the Qualifying in the Afternoon.

So how did the Saturday at the 2017 Belgian GP pan out? Time to take a peek :

Enroute to the Circuit :

Walking to Spa Francorchamps Circuit via La Source Hairpin :

Photos of the Paddock Club Track Truck Tour :

Some Photos with the GoPro Hero 5 Black :

The First Pit Lane Walk of the Day :

Scuderia Ferrari F1 Garage during the Pit Lane Walk :

Romain Grosjean's Haas being readied for FP3 ( Video Link ) :




Saturday morning also see the teams practicing their Pit Stops.


Williams Martini Racing F1 Pit Stop Practice ( Video Link ) :

Sahara Force India F1 Pit Stop Practice ( Video Link ) :

We had the Opportunity of visiting ART Grand Prix in the Formula 2 Paddock :


The Final Practice session of the Weekend FP3 :


Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team during FP3 :


Chequered Flag :


Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel were the fastest in FP3 with Lewis Hamilton a close third.


An Early Lunch before heading down for the final Pit Lane Walk of the Day :


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

Shots of the GoPro Hero 5 Black from the Pit Lane Walk :

Sebastian Vettel's Car being readied for Qualifying ( Video Link ) :




It was then time for the Qualifying Session to commence.

Shots from Q1 :

Lewis Hamilton was fastest in Q1, Sebastian Vettel & Max Verstappen were P2 & P3 respectively.




Shots from Q2 :

Q2 saw Mercedes Flex their muscles and Lewis Hamilton dipped into the 1:42s and was fastest again. Valtteri Bottas and Kimi Raikkonen completed the top 3.

Q3 was the top 10 shootout.

Shots from Q3 :

Lewis Hamilton took pole. Kimi Raikkonen had to back out of his flying lap due to a mistake and a tow to Sebastian Vettel helped him to snatch P2 from Valtteri Bottas!


The Top 3 parked on the Grid for the Post - Qualifying Interviews :

Top 3 Driver Interviews ( Video Link ) :




Vettel and Hamilton inspecting each others' machinery :


Marshalls fortunate to have their suits autographed by Vettel and Hamilton.

We were then joined by Antonio Giovinazzi, Reserve driver for Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team :

Antonio Giovinazzi Interview in the Ferrari F1 Club (  Video Link ) :




Sebastian Vettel visits the Ferrari F1 Club post Qualifying.

Sebastian Vettel Interview ( Video Link ) :




Vettel left and it was time for the start of the Formula 2 Feature Race!

Shots from the Feature Race :

Arjun Maini on the grid for Race 1 in GP3 :

GP3 Race 1 Formation Lap ( Video Link ) :




Formation Lap done for GP3 :


GP3 Race 1 Start ( Video Link  ) :





Shots from Race 1 :

Post race I walked down to the other end of the Paddock Club to experience the F1 Simulators on offer.

F1 Simulators in the Paddock Club :

Got a sneak peek of the Podium!

Williams Crew sitting and watching the movie on "Sir Frank Williams" and the team of yesteryear.


Returning to Hasselt from Spa :


Kimi Raikkonen's mistake in his final run in Qualifying cost him a chance to be on the Front Row. Arjun Maini also narrowly missed the podium in Race 1 in the evening. Barring these disappointments, it was a great Saturday at Spa Francorchamps! The Highlight for me was the Track Tour early in the morning.

A Big Thank you to Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team and their hosts for their hospitality throughout the day. Thank you to Edge Global Events for ensuring everything was in place for the Saturday.

Sunday Experience to follow soon..