THE START of the Diwali weekend also coincides with the countdown to the first-ever Indian Grand Prix. For the less informed, Formula1 will visit India next weekend from 28th to 30th October and put up a spectacle for its Indian fans at the newly opened Buddh International Circuit.
Most enthusiasts, many of whom are first timers, have already done their bookings more than a month in advance and this includes race tickets, air tickets and of course hotel bookings. If you’re doing it all last minute, here are a few important points:
1. JPSI and BookMyShow, the official ticketing partners, are offering race-only tickets at a massive discount. While the early bird gets the worm, the late comer gets a discount! Do check out last minute ticket deals as the organizers will try and fill up as many seats as possible.
2. If you’re still wondering which stands are the best, I would recommend the following:
a. Main Grand Stand – offers a view of the start-finish straight and the pit garages
b. Premium and Classic Stands (North Zone) – cars will be seen racing from Turns 1 to Turns 3 from these stands. Fast flowing corners and elevation changes will make for interesting racing
c. Star and Classic Stands (East Zone) – located at the end of the 1.2km back straight, this is also the DRS zone on track. One will witness a lot of overtaking from these stands
d. Premium Stand (South) – this stand should offer the view of F1 cars cornering at their highest speeds on track. The banked double apex corner at this stand will be negotiated at nearly 220kmph
3. Flight tickets have gone through the roof on all airlines and if you’re traveling from outside Delhi it might make some sense to travel by train and save that extra money to use at the circuit.
4. Similar situation with hotel accommodation, where room nights are more than three times the usual cost of the rooms and bookings are being accepted for a minimum package of 3 days / 2 nights. Probably the best time to ask for favours from relatives in and around Delhi and stay with them!
So once you figure out the above and finally get there to the Buddh International Circuit for the Indian GP weekend, what do you intend to do? First timers must know that on Friday, both free practice sessions total for about 180mins (90mins X 2 sessions) of track time. Saturday’s practice (60mins X 1 session) and qualifying (60mins X 1 session) will add 120mins followed by another 120mins on Sunday, which is Race Day. So what do you do between sessions?
Worry not, F1 is known to be a circus and it is for a reason. There will be support races of the JK Asia Racing Series and the MRF 1600 Championships that will take place on the same weekend. Also, the famous F1 Village will be set up for fans to attend and experience different F1 related activities.
F1 Village will be set up at a prominent location on track (please check circuit map of the BIC for its exact location during the Indian GP) which houses merchandise stalls, sponsor stalls and various food and beverage outlets. Should you wish to buy your favourite team’s merchandise, there’s no better place than visiting the stalls in the F1 Village.
Sponsor activation is a big part of Formula1 and hence the sponsor stalls could have activities ranging from racing remote-controlled F1 cars, to rare photography exhibitions to even display of rare automobiles or old Formula1 cars. Spending time at these stalls between sessions could infact see you lose some of the on-track action, such interesting they usually are!
Many fans have always asked me if I prefer to watch a race LIVE on TV or from the stands. Well, my answer is that I usually prefer both. The same is possible for you as well with the services of ‘Fanvision’, a hand-held device that can receive TV broadcast for you to watch the race from various camera angles and even when the cars have moved away from your area of the track. These devices are available on hire and are a big attraction amongst the fans.
And last but not the least, double check the offering of your stands and carry appropriate gear to help you from watching the F1 race. Mattresses, sunblock, cap, binoculars and even ear plugs should be a must-add to your F1 bag for the weekend! And if you’ve not already figured this out, there is expected to be a jam on the GP weekend due to heavy movement of traffic. I would recommend that you ditch your car and jump onto the various shuttle services that the organizers are offering.
