Depending on your arrival you will make it to the practice session in time or might be late.
Hopefully, you have convinced yourself to take a rental car so you are flexible and can adjust your schedule as you come.
Practice Sessions
Every Grand Prix begins with 3 free practice sessions, with 2 of them held on Friday; each of 90 minutes, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. The last practice session takes place on Saturday.
Drivers other than regular drivers, called third drivers can participate in Friday practice sessions in place of the regular driver. The third drivers are usually newcomers, trying to gain experience and exposure at such events.
Before you leave for the track each day, pack a small backpack with essentials such as extra clothing (e.g. rain jacket, or a spare t-shirt if it is really hot and humid), a hat, umbrella, sunscreen, and a camera. If you are on a budget, take along your own food and drink as trackside prices are high. Most circuits allow fans into the circuit with their own food and at least one plastic bottle (glass is generally prohibited at racetracks).
Bring and use protection for your ears—the higher quality, the better. F1 races typically reach 140 decibels, just below the level that causes permanent hearing loss. Wear comfortable shoes; racetracks span hundreds of acres of land. Bring an extra mobile phone charger and even a small foldable map of the area around the racetrack.
Once you are at the track, you will need to find your entry gate and get yourself oriented. Your ticket should be provided with a good circuit map to help you out. Get yourself a lanyard to make sure you don’t lose your ticket and it is readily available for any inspections throughout the day. If you are taking public transport, be aware that it can be very crowded if you are leaving at the same time as all the other fans at the end of the day. If you don’t want to be a sardine on the train or bus home, delay your exit from the circuit by an hour or so.
- Accommodation
- Formula1 ticket (depending on your chosen category)
After breakfast - Qualifying at the Circuit De Spa-Francorchamps
Qualifying Sessions
The second day, Saturday, begins with the 3rd practice session in the morning, for a duration of one hour. The qualifying session follows in the afternoon and this session is used to determine the starting order for the race day (Saturday).
The qualifying session lasts one hour and is divided into 3 knock-out stages − Q1, Q2, Q3, with small intervals in between.
Q1 lasts 18 minutes and all 20 cars race on the circuit. Of these, the five slowest cars are eliminated and they occupy the places − 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, on the grid.
Q2 begins after a brief interval with 16 cars and lasts 15 minutes. Again, the five slowest cars are eliminated and they occupy the places − 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, on the grid.
Finally, Q3 begins with the 10 remaining cars and is 12 minutes long and fill the remaining 10 positions on the grid. The fastest driver occupies 'pole position', a position on the grid that is considered best to begin a game.
- Accommodation
- Formula1 ticket (depending on your chosen category)
After Breakfast - Time to see who is making the race!
Race Day
The main event of a Grand Prix, the race day is held on a Sunday afternoon.
One of the best experiences of the whole weekend is the opportunity to walk down the pit straight after the end of the race and join the other fans for the podium celebrations. The track is normally opened to fans just minutes after the end of the race, so if you want a good view of the podium, get close to the finish line as the end of the race approaches.
- Accommodation
- Formula1 ticket (depending on your chosen category)
After Breakfast - with a suitcase full of new impressions - your home journey is commencing.
If you have rented a car - remember to fill it up before you return it!
