The Austrian GP is one of the most exciting races on the F1 Calendar. The venue has also produced some nail-biting finishes in MotoGP. The Red Bull Ring ( as the track is called ) is nestled in the hills of Spielberg in the region of Styria and can easily rival Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium when it comes to being picturesque. 

The Austrian Grand Prix is also the home race for Red Bull Racing, the dominant force in this era of Formula 1. Having visited the circuit in 2015, I always wanted to return to this iconic race, but logistical issues and the scheduling made me think otherwise. Finally, I had the opportunity to revisit this race track in 2024 and wasted no time making the necessary arrangements!

It was also a Sprint Race weekend, which meant that there would be a single Practice Session followed by Sprint Qualifying on Friday. 

The Race was held from 28th June to 30th June and although it was quite a commute for me from the city of Graz, the journey was very much worth it!

This was also the first time where the Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team didn't have a suite of their own but were in a shared space in the Club Suite.

This is the start of the Paddock Club Diaries from the 2024 Season!

Pictures and Videos were taken with the Sony RX10 IV and Samsung S24 Ultra.

Enroute to the circuit :

The Race passes for the weekend!

Welcome to the F1 Paddock Club in Austria :

Enjoying some Croissants in the morning :

Amazing backdrop with the Paddock in place :

Shots from the Pit Lane Walk :

Visa Cash App RB F1 Team practising Pitstops ( Video Link ) :

Williams Racing F1 Team practising Pitstops ( Video Link ) :

Stills from the Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team Garage :

Taking a ride around the track, thanks to the Paddock Club Track Tour :

Video Link of the Track Tour :

Time for some lunch before the start of Free Practice, the only one for the weekend :

Shots from Free Practice :

Max Verstappen was the quickest in Practice from Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc. Carlos Sainz Jr was 4th in the other Ferrari.

I had the opportunity to visit the garage for the final few minutes of Free Practice. Some Stills from the Paddock :

ARAS, the world's most gifted freestyle bike rider performing stunts :

The F2 Qualifying session underway :

A lull after two intense sessions on track :

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

Moments outside the Scuderia Ferrari F1 garage :

The Pit Walls getting ready for Sprint Qualifying :

Shots from Sprint Qualifying!

SQ1 :

SQ2 :

Max Verstappen was the quickest of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Carlos Sainz Jr was P5 with Charles Leclerc failing to set a lap time in P10 for Ferrari.

It was a mixed bag for Ferrari in Sprint Qualifying but things still looked positive for the rest of the weekend.

Shortly after, the Club Suite shut but guests were allowed to spend more time in the Club Lounge, a common hospitality area.

Time for some Pizza and Gelato in the Club Lounge :

Friday ends at the Paddock Club, and time for the drivers to relax in the motorhomes :

As I got out of the Paddock Club, I decided to walk across to the Paddock Parking to see if I could get a few selfies with some drivers as they headed home from the track!

Zhou Guanyu, Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber :

Kevin Magnussen, Moneygram Haas F1 Team :

Oscar Piastri, McLaren F1 Team :

Logan Sargeant, Williams Racing F1 Team :

Mick Schumacher, Reserve driver for Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team and WEC Driver for Alpine Endurance Team :

Laurent Mekies, Team Principal, Visa Cash App RB F1 Team :

Andrea Stella, Team Principal, McLaren F1 Team :

Ravin Jain, Chief Strategist, Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team :

Charles Leclerc! Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team :

Gerhard Berger, an Austrian F1 Legend!

Gianpiero Lambiase & Peter Bonnington, Race Engineers for Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton!

Goodbye, Paddock and the Paddock Club. The Curfew in effect for the teams and mechanics :

Heading back to Graz after a busy Friday!

I also compiled a Vlog about my Friday Experience, which is already live on my YouTube Channel!

Video Link :

It was an amazing Friday at the Red Bull Ring. Thankfully it stayed dry throughout the day and both the teams and drivers could make full use of the conditions to prepare for the Sprint Weekend. 

A big thank you to the New Hosts of the Scuderia Ferrari F1 Club for giving me a memorable Friday at the Racetrack. The Saturday and Sunday experiences follow shortly after!

Watch this Space!

2015 was the first time that I had the privilege of attending the F1 Austrian Grand Prix. Although it was a long trip to the circuit from Graz ( the closest city ), the location of the track in the hills of Styria was so beautiful. The Red Bull Ring as its called, became one of the most picturesque tracks on the calendar for me and I always wanted to re-visit this beautiful venue.

Finally, after a gap of 9 years, the opportunity presented itself and I simply couldn't miss being here at this iconic track. Along with the Austrian GP, I also had the chance of attending the Euros in Germany!

As always, the first post from the race weekend features moments I made with some who are part of the Motorsports Fraternity and some who are famous in their respective walks of life! 

This is the latest post from "A Gallery of Memories" Series!

Zhou Guanyu, Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber :

Kevin Magnussen, Moneygram Haas F1 Team :

Oscar Piastri, McLaren F1 Team :

Logan Sargeant, Williams Racing F1 Team :

Mick Schumacher, Reserve driver for Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team and WEC Driver for Alpine Endurance Team :

Laurent Mekies, Team Principal, Visa Cash App RB F1 Team :

Andrea Stella, Team Principal, McLaren F1 Team :

Ravin Jain, Chief Strategist, Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team :

Charles Leclerc! Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team :

Gerhard Berger, an Austrian F1 Legend!

Gianpiero Lambiase & Peter Bonnington, Race Engineers for Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton!

Another F1 Legend, Juan Pablo Montoya :

Former F1 World Champion Emerson Fittipaldi :

Lance Stroll, Aramco Aston Martin Racing F1 Team :

Mike Krack, Team Principal, Aston Martin Racing F1 Team :

Liam Lawson, Reserved Driver for Red Bull Racing :

Alexander Albon, Williams Racing F1 Team :

Nicolas Todt, Charles Leclerc's Driver Manager :

Alexander Wurz, former F1 Driver and now a race steward :

Daniel Ricciardo, Visa Cash App RB F1 Team :

1997 F1 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve :

Former F1 Driver Roberto Merhi :

Upcoming Formula 2 sensation and McLaren Academy Driver Gabriel Bortoleto :

Rally Racer Christine GZ :

Hans Zimmer, the legendary Score Composer and Music Composer :

Yuki Tsunoda, Visa Cash App RB F1 Team :

Pierre Gasly, Alpine F1 Team :

Carlos Sainz Jr, Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team :

A moment with friends from the Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team :

Meeting Mr. Hans Zimmer was the hallmark of this trip! A big thank you to the hosts of the Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team who helped me experience these amazing moments! The Friday, Saturday and Sunday Experiences from the Austrian GP follow shortly after!

The last day of the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix had finally arrived. Unlike, the rest of the weekend, Sunday saw better weather & clearer skies. I had an early start to the day as I tried to beat the morning traffic into the circuit.

Enroute to the circuit :

Walking over to the Paddock Club :

Starting my day with Cappuccino and Croissants as always!

Sunday morning views of the track. The F3 Race got underway with a rolling start :

F3 Feature Race Formation Lap ( Video Link ) :

The F3 Feature Race is a go & what a cracker of a race this was!

F3 Feature Race Start ( Video Link ) :

As the F3 race carried on, I decided to visit the fan village.

Walking over to the F1 Fan Village :

The F1 Fan Village, full of activity!

Shots of Raidilon from the Fan Village :

I returned to the Paddock Club and the Ferrari F1 Club Hosts arranged for me to go to the Photo Safari for the start of the F2 Feature Race.

We got escorted to the support race paddock which offered views of Eau Rouge and Raidilion :

The Safety Car comes into the pits and the F2 Feature Race resumes :

F2 Feature Race Restart ( Video Link ) :

Shots from the Feature Race :

Jack Doohan produced a stunning comeback to win the feature race from P11. 

Shots from the celebrations in Parc Ferme :

While the celebrations carried on in Parc Ferme, we had Ferrari's star driver join us in the Ferrari F1 Club.

Charles Leclerc in the Paddock Club!

Charles Leclerc Interview in the Ferrari F1 Club ( Video Link ) :

Going down to the Paddock for some more selfies!

Nico Hulkenberg, Moneygram Haas F1 Team :

Papa Perez! Mr Antonio Perez Garibay :

Hannah Schmitz, Principal Strategy Engineer for Oracle Red Bull Racing F1 Team :

Frederic Vasseur, Team Principal, Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team :

The vintage cars getting ready for the Drivers' parade. My friend drove Leclerc around the track :

Shots from the final pit lane walk of the weekend :

The Scuderia Ferrari Garage before the race :

The Ferrari mechanics warming up with some pit stop practice :

Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team getting ready for the race with Pit Stop Practice ( Video Link ) :

Diego Ioverno, Sporting Director at Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team :

Jack Doohan! It is always a pleasure to meet him, he is a thorough gentleman & an even better racer :

Time for a quick lunch before gobbling down some chocolates as desserts :

The grid getting ready for the main event of the weekend :

The drivers emerge from the pits for their sighting laps :

The drivers getting rolled by their mechanics into their respective grid slots :

National Anthem time :

The F1 Grid before the start of the Race ( Video Link ) :

The Air Force giving the fans an acrobatic display :

The grid gets clear of all non-essential personnel :

Formation Lap time :

Video Link of the Formation Lap :

The drivers navigating the Bus Stop chicane on the Formation lap :

The five red lights illuminate and as they went out, the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix was a go!

Race Start ( Video Link ) :

Lap 1 ( Video Link ) :

Shots from the race :

The Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team working hard to extract the maximum from the weekend :

Max Verstappen won the race from Sergio Perez while Charles Leclerc was P3 for Ferrari. A mechanical issue caused Sainz Jr to retire from the race.

Charles Leclerc patiently answering questions by Martin Brundle on Parc Ferme :

The Red Bull Duo having a mini post-race debrief :

Waiting for the top 3 to appear on the podium :

Leclerc, Perez and Verstappen are all smiles as they made their way to the podium :

The trophies being lifted by the Podium finishers :

Time for some champagne!

Podium Celebrations ( Video Link ) :

Mohammed Bin Sulayem, former Rally Driver and Current President of the FIA :

Some dear friends from Belgium, such a blessing to know them!

Selfie time in the paddock :

As I was walking around the Paddock, a gentleman and his grandson walked up to me and told me that they were at the race this weekend due to my Vlogs from 2022! They loved how well I had documented my experiences at the races and it helped their decision-making for a visit to an F1 race :

Jamie Chadwick, development driver at Williams Racing F1 Team & the triple-world champion in the now defunct W Series :

Daniel Ricciardo, Scuderia Alpha Tauri F1 Team :

Timo Glock, ex-F1 Driver and now a commentator for German TV :

Carlos Sainz Jr, Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team :

The Paddock is getting dismantled as the teams leave for the summer break :

Until next time, Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps!

I also made a Vlog about my experience from Sunday, sharing the YouTube link here :

It had been a memorable weekend at the Belgian Grand Prix. Thankfully, the FOM decided to extend the Belgian GP contract till 2025 and I hope to see this track on the F1 calendar for several more years. Once again, a big thank you to the Paddock Club team for their hospitality over the weekend. A special mention to the hosts in the Ferrari F1 Club who always make me feel welcomed and a part of the team, whichever race I am at.

There is another special experience to come from 2023, so watch this space!

Saturdays on an F1 weekend are the longest, mainly because of the number of activities lined up for Paddock Club guests. Although Aachen is closer to the circuit than Hasselt, it was still an early start to the Saturday for me. Having left from Aachen at 730 am, my friend and I reached the circuit around 845 am, just in time for Carlos Sainz Jr's visit to the Paddock Club ( more on that later in the post ).

Lets revisit the memories from the Saturday at the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix!

En route to the circuit on Saturday Morning:

As soon as I entered the Paddock Club, I rushed across to reach the Ferrari suite and thankfully, Sainz Jr hadn't arrived yet!

Carlos Sainz Jr visits the guests in the Ferrari F1 Club :

Video Link of Sainz' interview in the Paddock Club :

Shots of the Suite reserved exclusively for the Scuderia Ferrari Team guests in the Paddock Club :

And suddenly the weather changed at Spa-Francorchamps :

Gloomy weather called for some hot breakfast!

Kick Starting the day with some coffee and croissants :

After my coffee, I went downstairs to spend some time in the Paddock but the rain played spoil sport. Nevertheless, I got a selfie with Esteban Ocon from Alpine F1 Team :

Soon enough, it was time for Sprint Qualifying, better known as the Sprint Shootout!

Sprint Shootout gets underway :

Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team during the Sprint Shootout :

Shots from Parc Ferme post Sprint Shootout :

Max Verstappen was the quickest from Oscar Piastri and Carlos Sainz Jr. while Charles Leclerc was P4 in the other Ferrari.

Post the Sprint Shootout, I was hungry & wasted no time in having an early lunch.

Enjoying some lunch, the chocolates were so good!

Post the Sprint Shootout, the guests had the privilege of enjoying an interview with the team's new Sporting Director ( announced on the weekend of the Belgian GP )

The newly-appointed Ferrari Sporting Director, Mr Diego Ioverno briefly joined us in the Ferrari F1 Club :

Video Link of his interview :

The action was relentless as now it was time for the Formula 2 Sprint race on the track!

The F2 cars line up on the gird for the Sprint :

F2 Sprint Race Formation Lap ( Video Link ) :

Due to a car stalled on the grid, the F2 cars had to go around for a second formation lap.

Video Link :

F2 Sprint Race Start ( Video Link ) :

Shots from the F2 Sprint :

Some closeups of Jack Doohan!

& then we had a Safety Car period due to an incident!

Back to flat-out racing!

Celebrations in the Parc Ferme for Enzo Fittipaldi, Theo Pourchaire and Dennis Hauger. Jack Doohan finished a fine P5.

After the F2 Sprint Race, I got some time to spend in the Paddock before the Formula 1 Sprint.

Walking through the paddock, the sun was out again!

Thankfully, I was able to meet more drivers during this time!

Valtteri Bottas, Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake :

Sophia Floersch, Van Amersfoort Racing, Formula 3 :

Oscar Piastri, McLaren F1 Team :

Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team :

Jerome d'Ambrosio, Development Driver at Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team :

I made my way back to the Ferrari F1 Club, to prepare and grab myself a vantage spot for the start of the F1 Sprint Race.

The grid being readied for the F1 Sprint :

The mechanics rolling the cars & the drivers into the respective grid slots :

The Ferrari mechanics doing the same :

Building up to the formation lap :

Drivers returning from their loo breaks, game face on!

As the cars got readied on the grid, the heavens opened and a downpour hit the track.

The teams had to bring out their gazebos to cover the cars on the grid. The race start got delayed.

Video Link :

The rain relented and it was time to go racing!

The Grid ready for the Formation Lap ( Video Link ) :

The track was quite damp and the stewards decided to begin the F1 Sprint behind the Safety Car.

Video Link ( shot with Sony RX10 IV ) :

Video Link ( shot with Samsung S23 Ultra ) :

Video Links of the Cars running behind the Safety Car

Shot with Sony RX10 IV :

Shot with the Samsung S23 Ultra :

Finally, the Safety Car got called into the pits and it was time to go racing. However, by then, many drivers deemed it safe to switch to the intermediate tyres. Several drivers pitted at the Race start while some ( most importantly Verstappen ) chose to do one full lap on the wet tyres before making a decision.

Video Link of the F1 Sprint Start :

The move to pit on the opening lap of the Sprint yielded dividends for Oscar Piastri who jumped Verstappen after everyone pitted for intermediate tyres. However, a crash brought out the Safety Car again & the field got bunched up, negating Piastri's advantage built from the earlier stop.

Safety Car Deployed ( Video Link ) :

After the track got cleared racing resumed and as expected, Verstappen powered past Piastri to retake the lead of the F1 Sprint.

Video Link :

The drivers battling it out in the F1 Sprint :

The cars returning to Parc-Ferme after the F1 Sprint :

The Chequered Flag is waved at the end of the F1 Sprint & the drivers return to the Pit Lane ( Video Link ) :

Max Verstappen won the F1 Sprint from Oscar Piastri and Pierre Gasly. Gasly, like Piastri, benefitted from the early stop and jumped the Ferrari duo of Carlos Sainz Jr & Charles Leclerc who finished 4th and 5th, respectively.

With the F1 Sprint done, the organizers decided to entertain the remaining crowd with a display of some F1 cars from the yesteryears. Loud, uncensored and still brutally quick!

The classic F1 cars doing some track time!

After the classic cars show, it was time for the final activity of the day - the Paddock Club Pit Lane walk!

Selfies from the Saturday evening pit lane walk :

Shots from the evening pit lane walk :

Stills captured with the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra :

Stills from the Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team garage on a Saturday evening :

I got to meet some more people from the Motorsports Fraternity during the Pit Lane walk.

Friends and mechanics from the Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team! 

Jason Cozzetto, one of the senior mechanics at Alpine F1 Team :

Tiffany Cromwell, Australian Road & Gravel Cyclist & Valtteri Bottas' partner :

With the Pit Lane walk done, we were allowed access to walk on the track and get some selfies. Meanwhile, the parade was practicing for the pre-race ceremony.

Walking around La Source and enjoying the views from the tarmac!

After spending some time in and around La Source, I walked over to the F2 Paddock and then further on to the makeshift garages set up for the F1 vintage cars.

The classic racecars from yesteryears, so beautiful!

As I walked back to the entrance of the Paddock Club, I met a charismatic and very elderly gentleman who is as passionate as any of his younger colleagues!

Mr Fritz van Amersfoort, the founder, Team Principal & F3 Team Manager for Van Amersfoort Racing :

Finally, it was nice to get a selfie with Pietro Fittipaldi, Reserve Driver for Moneygram Haas F1 Team :

Goodbye from Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps :

As I walked back to the Taxi stand to take my ride back to the hotel in Aachen, my heart was full of joy. Although I had a physically tiring and body straining day, I didn't experience any mental fatigue! It was just a wholesome Saturday, difficult to describe in words.

Once again, a Big Thank you to the Hosts of the Ferrari F1 Club for all their love and hospitality on the Saturday. 

The Sunday experience follows soon!

Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, home to the Belgian Grand Prix, is my favourite track on the F1 calendar. Ever since Mika Hakkinen and Kimi Raikkonen delivered stunning victories at this vintage F1 track, visiting this circuit nestled in the Ardennes forest has become an annual pilgrimage for me. Having attended this race on six occasions, I can now declare myself as half-Belgian :)

Spa-Francorchamps is one of the few classic F1 tracks that remain on the calendar, and I hope the contract extends beyond 2025.

The Paddock Club Diaries begin with the Friday Experience, and although I am six months late, it is amazing to relive the memories through these blog posts!

Pictures taken with the Sony RX10 IV and Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.

En route to the circuit on a rainy Friday morning:

I had to pick up my race passes from the Radisson Blu Hotel in Spa and luckily, I got myself parking passes too!

Race Passes for the weekend :

The walk from the Taxi Drop-off to the Paddock Club completes my cardio workout for the day!

Walking to the Paddock Club :

The Ferrari F1 Club, the home of the Scuderia Ferrari F1 Guests for the weekend :

Coffee and Croissants to kickstart my day!

Thanks to the team, I got myself some time to visit the Paddock but unfortunately, a downpour began.

Walking through a wet and rainy Paddock :

The rain let up soon and I had the opportunity of getting selfies with some famous faces from the F1 Paddock.

Davide Brivio, ex-Yamaha, ex-Suzuki in MotoGP and Racing Director in Alpine Racing F1 Team :

Alexander Albon, Williams Racing F1 Team :

Sergio Perez, Oracle Red Bull Racing F1 Team :

Charles Leclerc, Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team :

It was then time for the first pit lane walk of the weekend and I walked across to the Pits to behold the cars up close!

Shots from the first pit lane walk :

Stills with the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra :

Williams F1 Team Practicing their Pit Stops ( Video Link ) :

Meeting Beat Zehnder, Sporting Director, Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake ( in the pit lane ) :

Lunch is served! A great spread indeed :

The Belgian Grand Prix was a Sprint-Race weekend in 2023, so the drivers had only one Practice session before the Grand Prix qualifying that gets held on a Friday evening.

Free Practice gets underway!

The Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team working hard in FP1 in inclement weather :

The chequered flag brings to an end an FP1 which was battered by rain :

Drivers practising their starts from various grid slots :

Video Link :

Carlos Sainz Jr topped the timesheets from Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. Charles Leclerc was P4 in the other Ferrari.

Post Free practice, Marc Gene visited the Ferrari F1 Club for a quick Q&A :

I decided to spend some more time in the Paddock before Qualifying and as I walked through the Paddock Club, I met an ace ex-cricketer!

1983 Cricket World Cup Winner, Indian Cricket Legend and now an ace commentator, Ravi Shastri :

The Media pen in the Paddock, abuzz with activity after a session :

The trip to the Paddock was fruitful as I met more drivers.

Liam Lawson, Reserve Driver for Red Bull Racing F1 :

Zhou Guanyu, Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake :

Tom Kristensen, WEC Champion & Record winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans :

Soon enough it was time for Qualifying and I headed back upstairs.

Q1 underway :

The Ferrari Drivers in Q1 :

Shots from Q2 :

Scuderia Ferrari F1 fighting it out in Q2 :

The sun came out before the start of Q3. Glorious views!

The final shootout commences :

Leclerc and Sainz go full send :

The Parc-Ferme after Qualifying :

Max Verstappen was the quickest at the end of Qualifying from Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez. Carlos Sainz Jr was P5 in the other Ferrari. 

However, Leclerc inherited Pole Position since Verstappen had a five-place grid penalty due to new engine components.

Post-Qualifying, the Paddock Club guests had the privilege of going on a track tour on trucks!

Ready for the tour!

Shots from the Paddock Club Track Truck Tour :

Video Link of the Paddock Club Track Truck Tour :

As I got off the trucks, I got to meet Jakey Benham, Dani Bereznay, Jarno Opmeer & Marcel Kiefer, Sim racers for Mercedes F1 E-Sports Team :

The tour was the last activity of the day and it was time to head back to my hotel in Aachen.

Goodbye Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps :

I also compiled a Vlog about my Friday Experience on my YouTube Channel!

Video Link about the Friday Experience :

A big thank you to the hosts at the Ferrari F1 Club and the Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team for their hospitality and for making my Friday Experience a memorable one. The Saturday Experience follows shortly!

 The Belgian Grand Prix held at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is my favourite race on the F1 calendar. Every year, I make an effort to be present at the Grand Prix and a trip to this beautiful circuit in the Ardennes has become like an annual pilgrimage. The 2023 Belgian Grand Prix was the second F1 race that I attended in the year. 

As always, I kickstart my experience from the weekend with "A Gallery of Memories" post, where I share my memories with all the famous and well-known people from the motorsport world and beyond!

Davide Brivio, ex-Yamaha, ex-Suzuki in MotoGP and Racing Director in Alpine Racing F1 Team :

Pierre Gasly, Alpine Racing F1 Team :

Alexander Albon, Williams Racing F1 Team :

Reigning World Champion, now a Triple World Champion, Max Verstappen, who races for Oracle Red Bull Racing F1 Team :

Sergio Perez, Oracle Red Bull Racing F1 Team :

Charles Leclerc, Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team :

Beat Zehnder, Sporting Director, Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake :

1983 Cricket World Cup Winner, Indian Cricket Legend and now an ace commentator, Ravi Shastri :

Liam Lawson, Reserve Driver for Red Bull Racing F1 :

Guanyu Zhou, Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake :

Tom Kristensen, WEC Champion & Record winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans :

Jakey Benham, Dani Bereznay, Jarno Opmeer & Marcel Kiefer, Sim racers for Mercedes F1 E-Sports Team :

Esteban Ocon, Alpine F1 Team :

Valtteri Bottas, Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake :

Sophia Floersch, Van Amersfoort Racing, Formula 3 :

Oscar Piastri, McLaren F1 Team :

Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team :

Jerome d'Ambrosio, Development Driver at Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team :

Jason Cozzetto, one of the senior mechanics at Alpine F1 Team :

Friends and mechanics from the Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team! 

Tiffany Cromwell, Australian Road & Gravel Cyclist & Valtteri Bottas' partner :

Pietro Fittipaldi, Reserve Driver for Moneygram Haas F1 Team :

Mr Fritz van Amersfoort, the founder, Team Principal & F3 Team Manager for Van Amersfoort Racing :

Nico Hulkenberg, Moneygram Haas F1 Team :

Papa Perez! Mr Antonio Perez Garibay :

Hannah Schmitz, Principal Strategy Engineer for Oracle Red Bull Racing F1 Team :

Frederic Vasseur, Team Principal, Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team :

Diego Ioverno, Sporting Director at Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team :

Jack Doohan! It is always a pleasure to meet him, he is a thorough gentleman & an even better racer :

Mohammed Bin Sulayem, former Rally Driver and Current President of the FIA :

Some dear friends from Belgium, such a blessing to know them!

The Hosts at the Ferrari F1 Club, such amazing moments with them, so gracious and welcoming as always :

Jamie Chadwick, development driver at Williams Racing F1 Team & the triple-world champion in the now defunct W Series :

Daniel Ricciardo, Scuderia Alpha Tauri F1 Team :

Timo Glock, ex-F1 Driver and now a commentator for German TV :

Carlos Sainz Jr, Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team :

An eventful and inclement weather-filled weekend!

A big thank you to the Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team and the hosts at the Ferrari F1 Club for having me over the weekend. 

Although this was the last post of "A Gallery of Memories" from an F1 weekend, there remains a surprise, from a new event that I had the opportunity of attending in 2023. More on that later, 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 :