I am planning to watch the candian GP with my 18 months old daughter. I would like to know whether anyone from this BB have taken their kids to watch a GP. My concern is the noise level. I would be at one of the slower corners (Stand 33).

Thanks.

Please don't do it. You MUST apply ear protection to the little one and how will you be able to ensure they're working properly? Plus, your mind will be on your child's well being (food, weather, poop) and not on the race. Stay at a reputable hotel which can arrange daycare. Or, leave child with family if you live in Montreal.

Couldn't agree more!!!

And on a selfish note(think of your immediate neighbors sitting beside you...), if I were to have a kid that age(who won't even remember this in any possible way) beside me and if he or she started to have a serious fit, cry and scream, I'd sure throw a look at the parent who brought the baby(because 18 months old is still a baby...).

I took my 10 month old son to the '95 Canadian GP. We tried earplugs and he tried to eat them. In the end he basically slept through the entire race and qualifying. With all the breaks between sessions it's not as bad as you think especially with all the shaded grassy areas. The only problem was getting a stroller over the crosswalks and the crowd at the metro.

My wife and I have been to all of the Indy USGPs, but we're expecting our first child now. She decided to skip the race this year (but doesn't mind me going - she's a gem...), mainly out of fear of the noise levels. Of course, in this case, ear protectors for the baby-to-be were out of the question. We're in Penthouse E at Indy, which is right over the final turn - noise is definitely an issue there.

My biggest concerns would be:

1) Noise exposure (not much can be done reliably about that), and possible terror at the scary-sounding cars
2) Sun exposure (this can be dealt with)
3) Needing to look after the baby and bring all of the ecoutrements
4) Your ability to enjoy the race

My personal opinion (if it is possible) would be to wait until your daughter is old enough to be excited about the race. That way, you're likely to raise an F1 fan, rather than lose your own enjoyment of the race.

Just my two cents from someone not even a parent yet...

I took my son to a CHAMP car race when he was 2. Big mistake.
You won't be able to enjoy the race.
You're gonna be in that seat for a long time, in the middle of June.
It'll be hot, she'll probably get restless....
My son is 6 now, so this year he is coming to Indy with us.

Yeah I'm with most of the others on this one.

For a fleeting moment I toyed with the idea of taking our 18 month old sprog to Melbourne this year. But then reality sunk in. The risk of noise hurting the poor bugger is too much. At that age there is no way I could have enjoyed the racing whilst looking after the poop machine. If he threw a tantrum I'd have no choice but to take him somewhere away from everyone else (or it would spoil thier viewing). And finally....... he likes cars but at his age he would be just as happy watching mini's race as F1's.

Personal opinion....... I'll think about it when he is 4.

Although the noise levels at GS 33 will be a bit lower than some other grandstands, its still too loud for most kids.

I took my 8 year old to Friday practice last year in GS 11. Even there, it was a bit overwhelming. It was only for an hour and she managed OK with earplugs, but she was getting restless by the end of it. This is a girl who watches the races with me on Sundays, so she is interested, and loves MS.

I wouldn't bring a child until they can wear proper hearing protection (headset) and you can get appropriate feedback from them regarding their comfort level.

Besides, that hard aluminum bench gets sore after an hour, even for diapers.

Cheers!
John

Daughter is 5.... She's coming with us as well. My biggest concern is whether her mom is going to manage her on Saturday night when I intend to get saucy!

My experience was that the noise during the race is too much, sustained for too long a time for a little one. Honestly, it was almost too much for me (I had to finally break down and use ear-plugs myself).

The noise during the practice/qualifying an support races is not too bad (an adult may not even need plugs, if you're used to loud environments), because things are sort of intermittent, sometimes there are only two cars on track at a time, and they only last an hour or so. The race is just an exponetial increase in both volume (due to so many cars producing the noise), and it lasts for at least an hour and half or more.

And of course the volume of the F-1 cars is quite a bit more than the noise from the Porsche Cup or Ferrari Challenge cars.

Finally, never overlook the inconvenience factor of having to look after the little ones.

My advice, don't bring at that age.

CAC

Seat18E,

You're funny! That's some wife you have if she puts up with that. I'll give you my number and she can call my wife who will be with my two girls on Friday and Saturday night. They can enjoy each other's misery!!

Aren't GP's in Montreal the best !!

Simply put - it is going to be agonizing for you, the baby and others around you. So, enjoy the race in the privacy of your home!

I wouldn't even think of it. Aside from the incredible noise levels, the crowds would make things unbearable. On race day I've spent 20 minutes just trying to get across the bridge to the infield. The Metro is jammed packed, the bridge across the river is shoulder to shoulder...no way, it's hard enough for an adult.

Thanks all of you for your replies. I finally have compromised to stay in my drawing room and watch the race. It would be inconvenient for the baby, other spectators next to us and of course myself and my wife.

(I had it all set for the race....a) USB connector which connects to my cell phone so that I can get precise laptimes of all the drivers at race from my notebook......b) a 70-300mm lens for my Nikon and what not)