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 24 Hours of Le Mans is a test of endurance. The hallmark event of the FIA World Endurance Championship, Le Mans is a motorsport event like no other. Man and machinery get tested to the hilt and finishing the race remains an achievement in itself.

My friend and I had decided to soldier on and stay awake for the entire duration of the race and as we headed into Sunday and the critical hours of the morning, our eyes began to feel heavy & we began to get drowsy.

The only way to beat this lethargy was to do some activity and we decided to head to Casa Ferrari from the Paddock and watch the racers and their rides navigate through the circuit at night!

Driving through the night, relentless endurance displayed by the drivers and the teams :

The AF Corse Ferrari Hypercars operating in tandem :

After an hour, we decided to head back to the Paddock again and this time, we took a different route.

The Ferris Wheel was fully illuminated as we walked back to the Paddock :

Once we made our way back to the Paddock, we took a short stop outside the Porsche Hospitality. The Hospitality had a large screen outside with the race feed being relayed live.

Incidentally, the broadcaster was showing onboard footage from Car Number 51, a lap around Circuit de la Sarthe!

Onboard with Ferrari Hypercar 51, for almost a lap ( Video Link ) :

As we headed back to the Ferrari hospitality, we got invited to spend some time in the garage. As the only guests present with the team overnight, we had the liberty and the luxury to spend as much time as we wanted, to see the team perform up close!

Spending a couple of hours in the garage was a special experience. The views from the box were amazing. The Pit crew tried to get some rest, as and when the opportunity arose.

After we exited the garage, we went up the stairs to the highest level of the Pits building. The views rivalled that of the Pit Grandstand, and we could see the cars go full throttle down the start-finish straight!

Some Stills from the highest viewing gallery above the Pits Hospitality :

The drivers continue driving as the dawn breaks :

The Ferrari Hypercars racing in the early hours of Sunday morning :

Video Link of the drivers racing with dawn arriving :

The light kept improving as dawn approached and we were slowly feeling hungry again!

Dawn breaks over the circuit :

Breakfast in the Hospitality, always been a fan of Lotus Biscoff! Healthy grub is always available in the Ferrari Hospitality, after all they are catering to the drivers and the team personnel!

As the morning hours crept in on us, people started returning to the paddock from their overnight slumbers.

The light improves as the Paddock begins to become a busy place again :

We decided to head to Casa Ferrari and enjoy the early morning views of the track from the penultimate corner, along with some more indulgent breakfast treats!

Some breakfast treats at Casa Ferrari :

The cars navigating through the penultimate chicane, on a glorious Sunday morning :

The AF Corse Ferraris soldiering on. Car number 51 was in contention for victory :

The guests of Casa Ferrari had the opportunity to watch the action from other parts of the circuit at appointed times. We too enrolled for one such tour and this tour took us to Hunaudieres, a high-speed section followed by an S-chicane that opened up to the legendary Mulsanne Straight!

Shots of the cars through the high-speed Hunaudieres-Mulsanne section :

After we returned from Hunaudieres, we decided to head to Casa Ferrari for the final time. Car Number 51 was leading the race and we hoped to be in the garage for the celebrations.

Walking from the Paddock to Casa Ferrari for the final time on the weekend :

En route, I met an ex-F1 Driver!

Will Stevens, Hertz Team Jota, Hypercar :

Grabbing some stills for the final time from Casa Ferrari!

Back in the hospitality, and lunch was ready!

A quick lunch but a tense one too!

Car Number 51 had been leading from the Toyota Car Number 8 comfortably. The final pit-stop was completed but an electrical shutdown ( due to a malfunctioning steering ) caused number 51 to stall in the pits. With Alessandro Pier Guidi frantically trying to re-activate all systems, all of us in the hospitality were reciting our prayers and gasping with fear. Finally, the car roared back to life and the Italian emerged from the pits, still in the lead, but the gap truncated considerably. Thankfully, that was the last stop and we hoped for no more hiccups in the final hours of racing.

As the clock ran down, we headed to the garage to get ready for the celebrations ( once car number 51 took the chequered flag of course ).

The agonizing wait!

Finally, Victory!! There were jubilant celebrations, tears of joy, hugs and ecstasy as we celebrated this victory for Ferrari AF Corse, on Debut!!

It was time for the drive of honour through the pit lane for the winners of the Centenary Edition of Le Mans.

We lined up on both sides of the pit lane to get a good view of the winners :

Getting a glimpse of the Le Mans winners as they drive through the pit lane!

Drive of Honour through the Pits ( Video Link ) :

Like in F1, we then ran towards the Podium for the celebrations!

As we waited for the podium finishers to come onto the stage, Charles Leclerc got invited for a quick interview.

Charles Leclerc talks about attending the race and his experience as a spectator. The Monegasque expressed his desire to race in the future :

Video Link of the Interview :

The podium finishers from the Hypercar Category make it to the podium :

2nd and 3rd Place Finishers ( Video Link ) :

Winners of the Centenary Edition of Le Mans ( Video Link ) :

The trophy and wreath presentations begin :

Ferrari AF Corse car number 51 finished ahead of Toyota Gazoo Racing car number 8 and Cadillac Racing car number 2.

Well done to James Calado, Antonio Giovinazzi, Alessandro Pier Guidi ( Ferrari AF Corse ), Sebastien Buemi, Brendan Hartley, Ryu Hirakawa ( Toyota Gazoo ) & Earl Bamber, Richard Westbrook, Alex Lynn ( Cadillac Racing ) for finishing on the podium!

The winners of the Centenary Edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, AF Corse Car Number 51 :

Trophy Presentation & Podium Celebrations ( Video Link ) :

Walking back to the Hospitality after the Podium celebrations :

Time to add 2023 to the list of victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans for Ferrari AF Corse :

The team personnel brought the constructor trophy to the hospitality.

The Winning Constructor Trophy :

This got shortly followed by the drivers of Car Number 51 - James Calado, Antonio Giovinazzi and Alessandro Pier Guidi, who took the Chequered Flag at the end.

The drivers of Car Number 51, returning to the Hospitality amidst some applause!

Video Link :

Signatures of all 6 Ferrari Hypercar drivers, mission accomplished!

My friends bid adieu as they had a train and plane to catch! I decided to loiter around the Paddock for one last time!

As I made one final round of the Paddock, I had the opportunity of meeting two more drivers!

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

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

Having said my farewells to Ferrari, I headed back to the tram station, via the same entrance that I had come through the previous day.

The circuit and the fan zones bear a deserted look a few hours after the race finished. It was a long walk back to the tram station, but also a memorable one, as I bid goodbye to this iconic circuit.

The sun sets over the town of Le Mans. What an end to a beautiful weekend!

I have also compiled a Vlog on my YouTube Channel about my Sunday Experience.

Video Link :

This was a special special weekend for me, personally. As an ardent motorsports fan, attending the 24 Hours of Le Mans was on my bucket list for quite some time, and what better way than to attend the Centenary Edition and see the Ferrari AF Corse Hypercar win on debut!

A big thank you to the team for the amazing hospitality over the weekend, and for an all-access experience that allowed me to enjoy all that this event had to offer! 

It was great to have my friend Raul and his son for company the entire weekend and as guests of Antonio Giovinazzi, we got treated like Royalty.

Always thankful to God, truly blessed! Motorsport Weekends will return, from another event in 2023 that I had the privilege of attending, so watch this space!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Finally, we reached where we needed to be!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Helmets and gear are ready for the big race ahead!

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

Charles Leclerc, Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team :

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

Moments on the actual tarmac, oh what a feeling!

Selfies on the Grid!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Video Link to the Race Start :

Video Link to the Safety Car Deployed :

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

Video with the Samsung S23 Ultra :

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

The Ferraris navigating the last corner of the circuit :

Video Link of the cars battling it out!

Some of the Shots of Casa Ferrari :

Pizza and Ice cream anyone?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Time for some dinner, healthy again!

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

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

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

The Fireworks Display ( Video Link ) :

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

The Ferrari 499P Hypercar relentlessly competing in the darkness :

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

Racing through the night ( Video Link ) :

Enjoying some Pasta, a midnight binge indeed!

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

More than half the distance and still going strong!

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

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

Part 1 :

Part 2 :

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

More to follow, so watch this space!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Enroute to the Circuit :

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

We got to the circuit and walked around the periphery.

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

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

Walking to the starting point of the Drivers' Parade :

After a little wait, we finally got our passes!

The Race Passes for the weekend :

The square from where the Drivers' Parade commences :

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

Video Link :

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

Alex Lynn, Cadillac Racing, Hypercar :

Daniil Kvyat, Prema Racing, LMP2 :

Robin Frijns & Sean Gelael, Team WRT, LMP2 :

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

James Calado, Ferrari-AF Corse, Hypercar :

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

The drivers start heading out for the parade :

Some beauties, from the yesteryears and now!

Antonio Felix da Costa, Hertz Team JOTA, Hypercar :

Jack Aitken, Cadillac Action Express Racing, Hypercar :

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

Jose Maria Lopez, Toyota Gazoo Racing, Hypercar :

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

Alexander Sims, Cadillac Action Express Racing, Hypercar :

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

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

Loic Duval, Peugeot 9X8, Hypercar :

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

Malthe Jakobsen, Cool Racing, LMP2 :

Nicolas Lapierre, Cool Racing, LMP2 :

Alexandre Coigny, Cool Racing, LMP2 :

Pietro Fittipaldi, JOTA Oreca-07, LMP2 :

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

Giedo van der Garde, Graff Racing, LMP2 :

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

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

Mathieu Jaminet, Porshce Penske Motorsport, Hypercar :

Felipe Nasr, Porsche Penske Motorsport, Hypercar :

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

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

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

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

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

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

Video Link :

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Alex Lynn, Cadillac Racing, Hypercar :

Daniil Kvyat, Prema Racing, LMP2 :

Robin Frijns & Sean Gelael, Team WRT, LMP2 :

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

James Calado, Ferrari-AF Corse, Hypercar :

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

Antonio Felix da Costa, Hertz Team JOTA, Hypercar :

Jack Aitken, Cadillac Action Express Racing, Hypercar :

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

Jose Maria Lopez, Toyota Gazoo Racing, Hypercar :

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

Scott Dixon & Sebastien Bourdais, Cadillac Racing, Hypercar :

Alexander Sims, Cadillac Action Express Racing, Hypercar :

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

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

Loic Duval, Peugeot 9X8, Hypercar :

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

Malthe Jakobsen, Cool Racing, LMP2 :

Nicolas Lapierre, Cool Racing, LMP2 :

Alexandre Coigny, Cool Racing, LMP2 :

Pietro Fittipaldi, JOTA Oreca-07, LMP2 :

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

Giedo van der Garde, Graff Racing, LMP2 :

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

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

Mathieu Jaminet, Porshce Penske Motorsport, Hypercar :

Felipe Nasr, Porsche Penske Motorsport, Hypercar :

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

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

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

Charles Leclerc, Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team :

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

Will Stevens, Hertz Team Jota, Hypercar :

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

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

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

So watch this space!

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

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

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

Finally, at the Paddock Club entrance :

The view of the circuit on Sunday Morning :

Starting the day with some Coffee and Croissants :

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

F2 Feature Race Formation Lap ( Video Link ) :

F2 Feature Race Start ( Video Link ) :

Shots from the F2 Feature Race :

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

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

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

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

Video Link to this Interview :

A Selfie with the Boss!

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

The Final Pit Lane Walk of the weekend :

Some shots with the Samsung S23 Ultra :

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

The mechanics wheeling the cars to the grid :

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

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

The drivers gathering for the National Anthem :

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

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

Time for the Formation Lap :

Video Link :

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

Video Links to the Race Start :

Shots from the Race :

The Scuderia Ferrari F1 drivers pushing throughout the race :

Charles Leclerc pitting during the Race ( Video Link ) :

The Pit Walls are busy with strategy calls :

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

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

Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 personnel celebrating a double podium :

The drivers returning to Parc-Ferme after the race :

Post-Race Interviews of the Podium Finishers:

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

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

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

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

Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing F1 Team :

Nice to meet Billy Monger, racer turned presenter :

SHAKIRA!! No Introduction is needed!

Patrick Kluivert, Dutch Footballer who played for FC Barcelona :

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

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

Andreas Seidl, Sauber Motorsports CEO :

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

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

Extreme E and Rally Racer Christine GZ :

Valtteri Bottas, Alfa Romeo Stake F1 Team :

Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Trackside Engineering Director :

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

George Russell, Mercedes Petronas AMG F1 Team :

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

Returning to the city after a hectic Sunday :

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

Video Link :

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

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

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

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

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

Enroute to the Circuit :

The Views on Saturday morning :

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

Video Link to the Interview :

A Selfie with Charles Leclerc!

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

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

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

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

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

Spanish Racer Carmen Jorda :

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

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

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

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

The drivers and cars are ready for the F2 Sprint :

F2 Sprint Race Formation Lap ( Video Link ) :

F2 Sprint Race Start ( Video Link ) :

Shots from the Sprint Race :

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

Isack Hadjar Pit Stop ( Video Link ) :

Safety Car Period ( Video Link ) :

Race Restart after Safety Car ( Video Link ) :

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

Chequered Flag ( Video Link ) :

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

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

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

Shots from Q1 :

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

Shots from the final attempts in Q1 :

The Scuderia Ferrari Drivers return to the garage :

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

Some Stills from Q2 :

Chequered Flag to signal the end of Q2 :

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

Shots from Q3 :

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

Cars coming into Parc-Ferme post Qualifying :

The Top 3 Drivers giving Interviews post Qualifying :

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

Some stills from the Paddock Club Track Truck Tour :

Video of the Tour of the Circuit :

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

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

Met some more stars, from Motorsports and beyond!

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

Portuguese and Barcelona FC Footballer, Joao Felix!

Manchester United and English Footballer, Mason Mount :

Portuguese and Benfica FC Footballer Hugo Felix :

Logan Sargeant, Williams Racing F1 Team :

World Number 3 in Tennis, Daniil Medvedev :

Serge Gnabry, Bayern Munich FC and German Footballer :

Kevin Magnussen, Moneygram Haas F1 Team :

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

Chelsea FC and England Footballer Ben Chilwell :

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

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

George Russell, Mercedes Petronas AMG F1 Team :

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