A trip to a Grand Prix will always be memorable. Martin McCarthyruns through the season's options
WITH VALENCIA, in Spain, and Singapore joining the Grand Prix calendar this year, the world of Formula 1 offers more options than ever for fans who want to combine the excitement of the ultimate motor race with interesting new venues.
Irish interest in Formula 1 remains high, nurtured during the glory days of Eddie Irvine and Eddie Jordan's amazing odyssey. This interest means Irish race fans now have an option of joining a package tour or going DIY - and there are attractions to both.
Even for those with only a vague interest in the sport, attending a race is a memorable experience. It is the most professional sports show on earth - and the exhilaration and excitement of watching the 300km/h gladiators in action are not to be missed.
This year Bernie Ecclestone, the Formula 1 supremo, has expanded the schedule to 18 races. The European season started in Barcelona last weekend.
There are two main benefits of a package trip to a Formula 1 race. Firstly, you have to do nothing, as everything is organised, from flights and hotels to tickets and transfers. Secondly, you'll be in the company of like-minded people, who provide insight, company and new friendships.
Either way, a Grand Prix trip is a memorable experience, and a chance to see the legends of tomorrow in the white heat of competition today. Here's a rundown of the rest of the season.
Next weekend the tour heads towards Istanbul, for the Turkish Grand Prix, at a welcoming, safe venue with a lot to offer. As Angela Long points out in her guide to the city, on page 4, Istanbul was a centre of civilisation in the ancient world, and the old city, with its great Catholic cathedral and Blue Mosque, is the ideal antidote to the screaming V8s of the afternoon practice.
Only the Monaco Grand Prix, on May 25th, has a different weekend structure to the normal timetable of practice on Friday and Saturday followed by the race on Sunday. In Monte Carlo, the principality dictates a rest day on Friday - so first practice day is Thursday.
This special venue remains the top of the pile. Even for those with zero interest in cars, Monte Carlo is fascinating and fantastic. Capitalism is on display as nowhere else. In Casino Square each evening the racetrack is opened to regular traffic - if you can call a succession of Aston Martins, Lamborghinis and Rolls-Royces regular.
The harbour has the best collection of superyachts on the planet that weekend - even Jordan's 37m (120ft) Sunseeker, The Snapper, will look modest in that company. With both Aer Lingus and Ryanair having direct flights from Dublin, Cork and Belfast to Nice, Monaco is very accessible from Ireland.
Tickets are expensive for any race weekend, at anything from €300 up, and for corporate hospitality at the track, in the Paddock Club, it's €2,000 or more a head.
One of my favourite venues is Magny-Cours, where the French Grand Prix takes place on June 22nd, in the delightful Loire valley near the medieval town of Nevers. This is a real heartland of rural France, and just four hours down the A7, south of Paris.
Silverstone, for the British Grand Prix on July 6th, is a ferry ride and three-hour drive from Holyhead, and the Cotswolds is a charming part of England not be underestimated.
The German Grand Prix, in Hockenheim, will be special this year, as it marks the 40th anniversary of the death of the great Scottish double world champion Jim Clark at the superfast venue. Hockenheim is easy to get to from Ireland, being 150km of autobahn south of Frankfurt Airport and close to magical Heidelberg, the preferred place to stay.
Valencia, where the Grand Prix of Europe takes place on August 24th, should be a terrific new venue - a street circuit near the city's harbour, in the Monaco mould.
In early September come two venues close to the hearts of Irish race fans. A decade ago Eddie Jordan jumped for joy at the first of these, when Damon Hill won the team's first Grand Prix at historic Spa- Francorchamps, in the Ardennes forest of Belgium.
A week later, on September 14th, comes Ferrari's home race, at Monza, in the royal suburb of Milan - a race that Jordan won in 1999. The Italian track is the holy of holies for followers of the red religion. Maybe by September we'll see Adam Carroll, the up-and- coming Portadown star mentored by Malahide man John Sweeney, on the grid.
Go there
Package holidays to Formula 1 events are sold by Thetraveldepartment .ie, among others. Race tickets from www.formula1.com