The last day of the 2018 F1 Season had finally arrived. The Championships were decided, however there was still a race to be won. Everyone was really excited about the Sunday. The Season ender is really a spectacle to behold. Everyone was looking forward to seeing their families again, enjoying the winter break and spending Christmas and New Year. There were farewells as well with some moving on to greener pastures while some taking a sabbatical from the sport. This would be the last time we would see Fernando Alonso in a F1 Car ( probably ). Marcus Ericsson, Esteban Ocon, Brendan Hartley, Sergei Sirotkin, Stoffel Vandoorne would also not feature on the 2019 grid. Pierre Gasly would race for the last time for Toro Rosso, Charles LeClerc for Sauber & Kimi Raikkonen for Ferrari likewise.  

A lot happened over a Sunday..a lot..time to relive that day!

The Drive to Abu Dhabi :

The F1 Village. A lot has changed since Liberty Media took over...

The Paddock and the Yas Viceroy on a beautiful Sunday Afternoon :

Brother bonding between Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz mascots :

GP3 Race 2 Start ( Video Link ) ( was just in time for it ) :



F2 Sprint Race Formation Lap ( Video Link ) :



The F2 Sprint Race Start was aborted after a car stalled on the grid ( Video Link ) :



F2 Sprint Race Start ( Video Link ) :



Some Photos from the F2 Sprint Race :

The Elaborate Lunch Menu :

Food, food and some Mousse!!

Sebastian Vettel was the driver guest for Sunday and the team principal would follow shortly after.

Sebastian Vettel looking forward to a good race and an even better winter break!

Video Link to the Interview :



Maurizio Arrivabene, the Team Principal joined us shortly after Seb left and he was at his talkative best! Bless him.

Maurizio Arrivabene Interview ( Video Link ) :



My dear friend being honoured for her loyalty and love for the team. She attended 14 Races in 2018!! Quite a feat! 

My Friend and our Do&Co ( the Hospitality partner in F1 ) Host Nil Mas saying goodbye to the World of F1 and heading out to Hospitality at Moto GP. 

Believe me..a lot of tears were shed that day..tears of joy, tears of sadness..

The Accolades distributed, the Thank yous said, it was time to head down to the Pits for a quick visit to the garages before the teams get down to serious business.

Shots from the Final Pit Lane walk :

There were goodbyes between the mechanics as well..Abu Dhabi tends to be an emotional race for fans and personnel alike.

Jack Aitken! 

Final set of Photos with the GoPro Hero 5 from the weekend :

The cars roll out of their respective boxes for sighting laps before the race :

Scuderia Ferrari mechanics lining up as Kimi Rolls out of his box for the final time ( Video Link ) :



The Grid kids make their way through the Pit Lane :

Kimi Raikkonen in a light mood, enjoying some moments with the family before business commences :

Media and guests all engrossed at the grid :

The Drivers gather at the front of the Grid for the National Anthem as well as for meeting the FIA Delegates and Circuit Organizers :

The Iceman putting on his gear, donning the Scuderia Red..one last time :

Will Smith being briefed about the Formation Lap Start procedure :

The Final preps before the Timer runs out for the Formation lap :

Will Smith the man flagging off the cars for the Formation Lap :

Video Link : 



The Mechanics running back to the pits as the cars complete the Formation lap :

The Race Start ( Video Link ) :



Shots from the Race :

Safety Car Period ( Video Link ) :



Race Restart after Safety Car ( Video Link ) :



Max Verstappen Pit Stop during the Race ( Video Link ) :



Kimi Raikkonen suffered a mechanical failure, a complete shutdown on all systems on his car and came to a halt at the start finish straight. The Team ran through some system resets but to no avail. It was a disastrous end to the race, his stint with Ferrari and also left me absolutely gutted..

The Ferrari guests have their eyes affixed on the race proceedings.

I got to meet Steve Robertson, Kimi's Manager since his Formula Days..was an enlightening chat!

The top 3 finishers line up on Parc Ferme one last time in 2018. Lewis Hamilton took victory from Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen. Hamilton, Vettel and Alonso indulged in some doughnut display on the start finish straight after the race.

Presenting to the fans their Podium Finishers of the 2018 Abu Dhabi GP :

The Trophy Presentation :

Time for Champagne..oops..no its Rosewater!  

Photo Op time with the Top 3 finishers!

The Podium Celebrations ( Video Link ) :



The mechanics ready to take the cars out of Parc Ferme :

I said goodbye to my friends and hosts at the Ferrari F1 Suite, a few other goodbyes to mates from the Paddock Club and I headed downstairs to the Paddock for a final walk around before heading home..I was glad to meet more people from the world of Formula 1!

Victoria Verstappen, Max Verstappen's sister :

Tatiana Calderon! So nice to meet her..hope to see her next year at Alfa Romeo!

KIMI RAIKKONEN!! 

Pierre Gasly, all the best with Red Bull in 2019 :

FIA Steward and ex F1 Driver Alex Wurz :

Ex-Real Madrid Footballer and Spanish Footballer Michel Salgado!

Toni Vilander! Always a pleasure to meet him.

Esteban Ocon..hope to see him on the grid in 2020 :

Marcus Ericsson, all the best in your future endeavours :

Sergio Perez, Racing Point Force India F1 Team :

Fernando Alonso, the Matador! We will miss him in 2019.

Minttu Raikkonen! Such a pleasant lady to speak to!

Peter Sauber, the supremo of the Sauber F1 Team :

The Fastest Pit Stop Award being awarded to the boys at Red Bull Racing F1 Team :

Taking in the sights of the F1 Paddock one last time in 2018 :

Good bye Yas Marina and Yas Island...until next time.

It was a great experience being at the 2018 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. It wasn't the ideal farewell for Kimi Raikkonen with the car's mechanical failure but nonetheless he had a really decorated career at the Scuderia. He still remains Ferrari's Last Champion!

My loyalties shift to the Alfa Romeo Racing F1 Team now and I would like to thank the folks at Scuderia Ferrari from the bottom of my heart for all the love and hospitality showered upon me since the past 5 years. I have made some great friends and the experiences that I carry with me, I shall cherish until my last breath. A big thank you to Edge Global Events for giving me a memorable 2018 and always ensuring a hassle free and professional experience with them. I hope to continue the association going forward. 

This brings me to the end of the Paddock Club Diaries in 2018. 2019 promises to be equally exciting and I can't wait to get back on my travels to the races!

Sunday had arrived. The hard work on Friday and Saturday would come to naught if Sunday wasn't a fruitful day for teams and drivers. Sunday is the D Day in F1. A lot can happen on a Sunday. Sebastian Vettel in P2, Kimi Raikkonen in P6...how enjoyable was our Sunday? Time to have a quick recap.

Enroute to the circuit :

A lot of companies offer supercars or even race spec cars for track days at Spa, some were on display.

Supercars on display near the circuit :

A Misty start to the day :

The day begins with the GP3 Race 2. I had the opportunity of being at the end of the Pit Lane and witnessing some Practice Starts. 

Video Link :



GP3 Race 2 Start ( Video Link ) :



The second order of the day was the Formula 2 Sprint Race. 

Cars lining up on the Grid for the start of the F2 Sprint Race :

Race Start ( Video Link ) :



Shots from the F2 Sprint Race :

The Sprint race ended and it was time to welcome the team principal Maurizio Arrivabene and Sebastian Vettel to the Suite for Interviews.

Maurizio Arrivabene Q&A :

The Video Link to the Interview :



Sebastian Vettel in the Ferrari F1 Suite :

I missed Vettel's Interview since I was away in another area getting a photo with Bottas and Seb turned up before his allotted time.

Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes AMG F1 Team :

Meanwhile there was some activity happening ontrack too!

A Vintage Ferrari F1 car doing the rounds around Spa :

A friend of mine was kind enough to offer me a spot on the Gold Tour - The Paddock Club Truck Tour which follows the F1 Drivers' Parade Lap on Sunday. You must receive a Golden Ticket in the F1 Race Programme on Sunday to be eligible for the experience.\

Some great pics from the Sunday Paddock Club Truck Tour :

We made it back to the Club and there was still time for a final walk of the Pit Lane.

Shots from the Final Pit Lane Walk of the weekend :

The Drivers getting ready for the National Anthem at the front of the grid :

Counting down to the Formation lap :

Time to roll out for the Formation lap :

Formation Lap ( Video Link ) :



The Mechanics rushing back to their Pit boxes to prepare for any eventuality during the opening lap :

The 5 Red Lights illuminate and as they go out, the 2018 Belgian Grand Prix is a go!

The Video Link to the Race Start :



Safety Car Period ( Video Link ) :



Shots from the Race :

Kimi Raikkonen was one of those affected from the first lap shunt and suffered from the DRS Rear Wing Flap Failure. His car also had a lot of floor damage and he couldn't continue racing. Sebastian Vettel jumped Lewis Hamilton at the start and the latter could never mount any challenge after that. Ferrari took a deserved win, Lewis Hamilton in P2 and Max Verstappen in P3, leaving the Fans in the "Orange Stand" in a very joyous mood.

Parc Ferme and Sebastian Vettel takes the win, a comfortable win for the Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team :

Celebrations and Interviews before heading to the Podium :

Parc Ferme Celebrations ( Video Link ) :



Podium Celebrations :

Video Link :



Photo Session time :

Time to take the chariots back to their pens!

Friends..Family!

A Moment with the Hosts at Ferrari ( always smiling and welcoming ) and Julia from Red Bull :

I got an opportunity to head down to the Paddock post race and meet and interact with some F1 Fraternity!

Antii Kontsas, Sebastian Vettel's Physio :

Noemi de Miguel, Presenter for Movistar F1 :

Sir Franz Tost, Scuderia Toro Rosso Team Principal :

Mark Webber, ex F1 Driver and Channel 4 Co-Presenter :

Marcus Ericsson, Sauber F1 Team :

Charles LeClerc, Sauber F1 Team :

Pierre Gasly, Scuderia Toro Rosso F1 Team :

Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing F1 Team :

Carlo Santi ( Kimi's Race Engineer ) and Carlos ( handling Engine Data ) from Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team :

The Paddock Packing up for Monza which was the weekend later. 

I made my way back to Aachen, thankful to the Lord for the experiences I experience in life. Yes I was massively disappointed with the result for Kimi but the day was very memorable nonetheless. 

Once again, Scuderia Ferrari had showered me with world class hospitality. Edge Global Events didn't put a foot wrong and ensured a hassle free weekend for me. There is nothing more that I could have asked for from these wonderful people!

The "Paddock Club Diaries" from 2018 will conclude after the Abu Dhabi GP ( Season ender ) experience. 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!

A glorious Sunday Morning, the weather seemed perfect for a day of Racing. I had a relaxed start to the day and I decided to skip the Paddock Club Truck Tour Opportunity! Need to train myself to be an early riser!

Love the view from my room!

Enroute to the Circuit :

The Paddock on Sunday Morning :

FIA Formula 2 Sprint Race is the second event on Sunday Morning after Race 2 for GP3. Shots from the Starting Grid.

FIA Formula 2 Sprint Race Formation Lap ( Video Link ) :

 

FIA Formula 2 Sprint Race Start ( Video Link ) :

 

Shots from the FIA Formula 2 Sprint Race on Sunday :

Safety Car - FIA Formula 2 Sprint Race ( Video Link ) :

 

Race Restart after Safety Car - FIA Formula 2 Sprint Race ( Video Link ) :

Maurizio Arrivabene visited us in the Ferrari F1 Club to share his expectations before the race. An amazing person! Great to have him as the Team Principal :

I won the Raffles Draw and got a Keyplate autographed by Maurizio Arrivabene! Finally I won in the Raffles!

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

Ferrari preponed the Timing for Sebastian Vettel to visit the Ferrari F1 Club and I missed him! Huge disappointment for me!

Paul Hembery, Pirelli Motorsport Director comes in for a quick Q&A in the Ferrari F1 Club Suite :

Photos from the Pit Lane Walk on Sunday before the race :

Scuderia Ferrari F1 getting ready :

Photos with the GoPro :

Paddock Club Parking is never short of stunning Ferraris :

Lunch! A Quick bite, hard to eat as the tension rises!

Prepping up for the Grid Presentation :

Pit Lane Open and time for some sighting laps :

Team Personnel make it to the grid :

Celebrities on the Grid :

Drivers being interviewed as they make it to the grid :

Scuderia Ferrari F1 on the Grid :

Its Time to climb into your machines boys!

Counting down the Clock to the Formation Lap :

Team Personnel make a run for the pits as the cars head out for the Formation lap :

Formation Lap, Shot with Sony HX400V ( Video Link ) :

Formation Lap, Shot with Samsung Note 5 ( Video Link ) :

FIA Race Director Charlie Whiting getting ready to switch on the 5 Red Lights :

Cars line up on the grid for the Race Start :

Race Start, Shot with Sony HX400V ( Video Link ) :

Race Start, Shot with Samsung Note 5 ( Video Link ) :

Shots from the Race :

Sebastian Vettel Pit-Stop ( Video Link ) :

 

Sergio Perez Pit-Stop ( Video Link ) :

Chequered Flag :

Chequered Flag is waved ( Video Link ) :

TV Crews busy with Initial Reactions, Post Race.

Cars returning to Parc Ferme :

Kimi Raikkonen suffered retirement thanks to a shunt by Max Verstappen and Valtteri Bottas. Lewis Hamilton won an eventful race with Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo completing the podium.

Post Race I got have a chat with the antagonist of Transformers Age of Extinction and Veteran actor Mr. Kelsey Grammer who was extremely friendly!

Hollywood Celebrity Kelsey Grammer!

Sebastian Vettel's 2nd place trophy, a pleasant surprise to bring Vettel's trophy upstairs!

Arjun Maini! GP3 Race 2 Winner and an Indian! It was a blessed time chatting with him and Michael Reedy, his driver coach!

The Hosts of Pirelli for the weekend :

The Hosts at the Ferrari F1 Club :

With my friends from Renault Sport F1 Team :

Walking around in the support area as I make my way to the Paddock Entrance :

Art Work, Murals of the Drivers :

Trucks make their way to the Paddock as they pack up and head out to Monaco!

I made my way to the Paddock Entrance and had the opportunity of meeting a lot of people from the F1 Circuit - Drivers, Principals, Team Owners, Senior Team Personnel

Sergio Perez, Sahara Force India F1 Team :

Damon Hill, 1996 F1 World Champion & Sky Sports F1 Presenter :

Susie Wolff, Ex-Williams F1 Development Driver & Presenter for Channel 4

Toto Wolff, Team Principal, Mercedes AMG F1 Team :

Felipe Massa, Williams Martini Racing F1 Team :

Felipinho Massa, Massa Jr. Love his smile!

James Allison, Technical Director, Mercedes AMG F1 Team :

Bernd Maylander, F1 Safety Car Driver :

Mats Hummels! Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich & German Defender :

Stoffel Vandoorne, McLaren F1 Team :

Peter Sauber, Owner of Sauber F1 Team and the man responsible for bringing so many drivers into F1 :

Monisha Kaltenborn, Team Principal, Sauber F1 Team :

Lance Stroll, Williams F1 Team :

Cryil Abiteboul, MD, Renault Sport F1 Team :

Nico Hulkenberg, Renault Sport F1 Team :

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

Aerodynamic Genius Adrian Newey, Red Bull Racing F1 Team :

Eliaquim Mangala, Manchester City, Valencia CF, France National Team Defender :

David Coulthard, Ex-McLaren F1 Driver, Red Bull Ambassador & Channel 4 Presenter :

Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing F1 Team, A Fun Guy!

Gene Haas, owner of Haas F1 Team :

Jos Verstappen :

Esteban Ocon, Sahara Force India F1 Team :

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing F1 Team :

The Professor! Alain Prost!

Romain Grosjean, Haas F1 Team :

Martin Brundle, Ex-F1 Driver, Sky Sports F1 Presenter :

Paul Hembery, Motorsport Director, Pirelli Motorsport :

Guenther Steiner, Team Principal, Haas F1 Team :

Alan Permane, Sporting Director, Renault Sport F1 Team :

Yusuke Hasegawa, Head of Honda's F1 Programme :

Ayao Komatsu, Chief Race Engineer, Haas F1 Team :

Marcus Ericsson, Sauber F1 Team :

Bob Fernley, Deputy Team Principal, Sahara Force India F1 Team :

Carlos Sainz Sr.

Daniil Kyvat, Scuderia Toro Rosso Driver :

Sir Franz Tost, Scuderia Toro Rosso Team Principal :

Simon Rennie, Red Bull Racing Race Engineer :

Gino Rosato, Scuderia Ferrari F1 :

Kimi Raikkonen's No.1 Mechanic & Setup Engineer :

Jolyon Palmer, Renault Sport F1 Team :

Stefania Arrivabene, Kimi Raikkonen's PR in Ferrari :

Carlos Sainz Jr., Scuderia Toro Rosso F1 Team :

Britta Roeske, Sebastian Vettel's PR :

Moko!

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG Petronas :

The Security in the Paddock was lifted and I had the chance to roam and take some shots of the Motorhomes :

Returning to the Hotel :

Barring the disappointing result for Kimi Raikkonen, it had been a fantastic Sunday and a Fantastic Weekend! Spain is one of the best circuits that offers fan access to the Paddock and the possibility of interacting with the F1 fraternity up close and personal.

Liberty Media the new owners of  F1 deserve credit for the initiatives begun by them to liven up the Fan Experience at the races.

I would like to thank Edge Global Events for their Professional Service and help in organising the Paddock Club Passes.
I big thank you to Scuderia Ferrari F1 and the Hosts for the hospitality and the love shown to me!

Mid - Season Review and Driver Markets to follow soon! Watch this space!