64 replies to this topic

[AyePirate]

So after decades of watching F1 on TV, I am finally going to attend a GP in person!
My wife was kind enough to buy me tickets for Christmas. I will be sitting in the Virage Senna. Looks like a pretty nice vantage point.

So who else will be there?

Any tips for the 44 year old GP Virgin would be greatly appreciated.

Is there a meet and greet for BB members set?

[jaisli]

Originally posted by AyePirate
So after decades of watching F1 on TV, I am finally going to attend a GP in person!
My wife was kind enough to buy me tickets for Christmas. I will be sitting in the Virage Senna. Looks like a pretty nice vantage point.

So who else will be there?

Any tips for the 44 year old GP Virgin would be greatly appreciated.

Is there a meet and greet for BB members set?

I'll be in stand 12 as well! I can't comment on the view since I've previously only sat in the hairpin. But it was rushed and last minute so I'll only be up on race day.

- Make sure you have both sun screen and a rain coat.

- suggest you take ear plugs

- get there early

- make sure you bring plenty of water to drink

[potmotr]

You will totally love it. Television doesn't do F1 justice at all in terms of speed and noise.
Here is the way I like to attack a Grand Prix weekend, providing I'm there for all three days.
On the Friday I don't even worry about my grandstand seat. Walk around the track as much as you can through all the General Admission areas. Throughout the two long practice sessions you'll be able to pretty much take a look at every corner on a day when the circuit is not too packed. Some circuits like Monza let you sit in almost any grandstand on the Friday. I've never been to Canada so am not sure of the arrangements there.
I like to get to the track nice and early on race day so I can experience the build up. It's great how much of a sense of occassion a F1 race is. By the time 1400 rolls around you'll be amped up!
The other tip is try not wearing earplugs as the full field runs through on the first lap of the race. The noise is fantastic.
Some people seem to be keen on taking mini TVs to the track or hiring those Kangaroo portable sets. Personally I've never been a fan. I've seen countless others at the track staring at their mini TVs, therefore missing the great action going on right before their very eyes! To my mind if you're determined to watch the broadcast you may as well be at home. Just download the race when you return.
A radio is quite handy, and there seems to be some kind of English language broadcast at most tracks around the world.
Have fun!

[AyePirate]

What about the Kangaroo TV? That looks like it might be useful.

I would suspect there will be a large screen within view to follow the rest of the action right?

EDIT

Just saw the above posts about Kangaroo TV....yes it does seem weird to spend the weekend staring at a tiny screen

[potmotr]

Originally posted by AyePirate
What about the Kangaroo TV? That looks like it might be useful.

I would suspect there will be a large screen within view to follow the rest of the action right?

Yeah, you should be able to check online your proximity to a screen.
Kangaroo TV are little handheld sets. I've never used one but I believe you can watch in car of any driver at any stage. It's all digital. http://www.kangaroo.tv/

[stevvy1986]

not sure i agree with the suggestion of taking earplugs,i didnt when i went to the french gp in 2003 and was sat on the start finish straight,yes it was loud at the start but the noise was awesome

[ATM_Andy]

Take ear defenders; trust me, 20 F1 cars in one big line will make your intestine's shake. You can always take them out if you want, but the cars are so loud all they will do is attenuate the noise so it doesn't hurt and you can enjoy it more.

Above all have fun.

[potmotr]

Originally posted by stevvy1986
not sure i agree with the suggestion of taking earplugs,i didnt when i went to the french gp in 2003 and was sat on the start finish straight,yes it was loud at the start but the noise was awesome

Know what you mean mate, those V10s sounded awesome. Though my candidate for shear ear-bleeding terror was the Lamborghini V12 in back of the Minardis of Christian Fittipaldi and Gianni Morbidelli in 1992. A close second would have to be the V10 in the back of the Footworks that year. Maybe my hearing has been damaged but those cars seemed much, much louder than today!

[BMW_F1]

You picked an excellent circuit for your fist GP plus you got to sit in one the best grandstands (I’ve yet to try this one). The facilities are top class.. I attended the 04,05,06 GPs, skipped last year, but I am back again this year and I still don’t know where I will be seating - my friend will pick up the tickets last minute on Friday. I have so many other things to do in Montreal this time around that I must probably only attend the race and skip Qualifying and Friday practice, which is great to watch by the way and a lot less crowded. If you bought the three day pass, which you must probably did, try to watch some of the other races, they usually have Formula BMW & GT3 races either late Saturday or Sunday morning before the F1 race. Do not buy the ticket holders as soon as you get out from the Subway, they’ll charge you $ 10-15 whereas inside they go for $5. I’ve been to grandstand 33 once and 24 twice (the hairpin) and in both I had big screen TV’s right in front.

I don’t like earplugs, a lot of people put them on, but I prefer to listen to the engines. That’s the point, without the earplugs you can distinguish the different cars by their sound. Pick up a cheap cooler that you can hang over your shoulder at Dollarama. (Montreal’s everything $1 store), and pack lots of water, juice or whatever you like. After the race you can actually walk around the circuit with everyone else, pass by the pits and take pictures… (this is cool..)
The only negative about this entire trip is leaving after the race on Sunday. The entrance to the Subway is jammed-packed and it could take you about 45min-60min to finally make your way down to the platform to take the train. I am really curious to know what the crowd would be like without Schumacher.


And don’t forget to make your way down to Cresent St and Peel St.

[stevvy1986]

well schumacher didnt race last season n id imagine the crowd was pretty big

[F1Fanatic.co.uk]

Have a great time - I'd love to go to the Canadian Grand Prix!

[BMW_F1]

Originally posted by stevvy1986
well schumacher didnt race last season n id imagine the crowd was pretty big

I am curious to know if we have less red on the stands. I didn't go last year, so I'll find out this year. Red was probably 80 % the color you'll see on the grandstands.
I remember back in 04, most of the fans were Ferrari/Williams, in 05 they were Ferrari/Mclaren in 06 the same with some Renault..

[Perigee]

Went to the Canadian GP in 06. Having been to Silverstone, Monza and Spa also, I would think you are guaranteed to have a good time as it really is a great atmosphere there. Sure, there are a few pinch-points for spectators rying to get round the circuit, but the facilities generally aren't bad. Was extremely hot when i went, so be sure to pay (well over the odds) for a nice, hopefully red coloured, cap!

[BMW_F1]

I'll be sporting this...

[mclarensmps]

I'll be sitting in grandstand 24 (by the hairpin), sporting Mclaren or Mercedes gear. Sadly I won't be able to make Friday, so I'll be walking around on Saturday and chilling on the stands on Sunday.

[jaisli]

A few additional thoughts, considering this is your first race...

The big screens are your friends. Watching the race on TV, you tend to have a better feel for how the leaders are doing and a better perspective of what's taking place all around the track. Where as sitting in the grandstand, you're stuck in one place and may be confused to suddenly see the safety car wiz by or how somebody who was in 3rd is now suddenly in 5th. Or no longer on the track period.

But there's no substitute for actually being there. You can literally feel the ground shake as the cars go by. You can smell the fuel, the burning rubber, the heat. The noise is spectacular. But as the field spreads out and you're not just sitting there for 45-50 seconds waiting for the cars to reappear again, you'll slowly pick up on little nuances that are hard to see on the TV. You'll see how some drivers take different lines through the corners, you'll be able to judge gaps, lap over lap, you'll be able to watch what may be exciting battles between 10-11-12. You can see twitches, movement, mistakes, corrections.

And don't be surprised to see how differently the colors of the cars look in real life compared to the faded yuck-mess of television!

[potmotr]

Originally posted by jaisli

And don't be surprised to see how differently the colors of the cars look in real life compared to the faded yuck-mess of television!

I totally agree. The Vodafone red on the McLaren wings actually appears as bright neon orange when you see them fly past. I still think those front wheel covers should be banned. IMO they detract from the sensation of speed you see when the wheels spinning.

[cheesy poofs]

I've got a suggestion for you AyePirate. If you can, stand near the outside of the footbridge that will lead you to you seat at the Senna curves and just listen to the wail of the cars as they wizz by you! Your ears will drop!!!!!!!!!

Footbridge near Stand 11 - http://www.grandprix.ca/tickets.html

[dbltop]

I will also be in GS 24 again this year. Five of us this time.

[Frank Booth]

Originally posted by AyePirate
What about the Kangaroo TV? That looks like it might be useful.

I would suspect there will be a large screen within view to follow the rest of the action right?

EDIT

Just saw the above posts about Kangaroo TV....yes it does seem weird to spend the weekend staring at a tiny screen

I highly recommend Kangaroo TV, added a totally new dimension to my USGP last year, especially helped for quali.

If you have a scanner use it to tune into the local broadcast, kind of fun to hear them talking during commercials.

I'm going to Montreal also for my 1st GP outside the US, was my wife x-mas present to me as well. I'm sitting in stand #1 in Row EE, I hope it's not to low or the stands are high enough to see over the walls.

[pasadena]

Originally posted by AyePirate
So after decades of watching F1 on TV, I am finally going to attend a GP in person!
My wife was kind enough to buy me tickets for Christmas. I will be sitting in the Virage Senna. Looks like a pretty nice vantage point.

So who else will be there?

Any tips for the 44 year old GP Virgin would be greatly appreciated.

Is there a meet and greet for BB members set?

I won't be there but you'll enjoy yourself and I wish you to enjoy the GP a lot!

[Sith]

Originally posted by cheesy poofs
I've got a suggestion for you AyePirate. If you can, stand near the outside of the footbridge that will lead you to you seat at the Senna curves and just listen to the wail of the cars as they wizz by you! Your ears will drop!!!!!!!!!

Footbridge near Stand 11 - http://www.grandprix.ca/tickets.html

Cheesy.. Where will you be for Friday free practice?? let's meet up...

[AyePirate]

Excellent. The Sith World Tour Continues

[jonpollak]

Have a great time Patrick....

Would love to hear/see your impressions of the experience.

Jp

[Sith]

Originally posted by AyePirate
Excellent. The Sith World Tour Continues

Let's organise a meeting point at the track tomorrow.. Maybe between 1st and 2nd sessions, or later in the day??

Cheesy know the place better than anybody... any idea's where??

[Beaums]

This will be my third Canadian GP (06,07,....), better than ear plugs are well fitting ear phones and a radio to listen to commentary/PA system (otherwise you'll never hear it over the intense roar). Prepare to be blown away by the noise & crowd.

A soft-sided cooler filled with the best canned beer you can find is necessary with the 90+ heat were going to get.

[jonpollak]

Is Montreal still a great place to find cute beaver ?

Jp

[kar]

Originally posted by AyePirate
So after decades of watching F1 on TV, I am finally going to attend a GP in person!
My wife was kind enough to buy me tickets for Christmas. I will be sitting in the Virage Senna. Looks like a pretty nice vantage point.

So who else will be there?

Any tips for the 44 year old GP Virgin would be greatly appreciated.

Is there a meet and greet for BB members set?

It's a bit lame, but for me one of the best things is the noise of the cars. Yeah, it can get a bit much particularly in this v8 era, but if you get a bit of time on a Friday, get as close to the track as you can, particularly in a braking zone, and just close your eyes and listen to them as they pass by.

There's nothing quite like it in sports :-)

[tifosi]

Originally posted by BMW_F1
The only negative about this entire trip is leaving after the race on Sunday. The entrance to the Subway is jammed-packed and it could take you about 45min-60min to finally make your way down to the platform to take the train. I am really curious to know what the crowd would be like without Schumacher.


And don’t forget to make your way down to Cresent St and Peel St.

I always save one bottle of wine, plop down on the track somewhere and enjoy it. Then walk straight to the an empty subway.

Don't forget Little Italy on Satudary night, particulary if you are a Ferrari fan.

[SirSaltire]

Am I jealous or what! You will have a great time - just one thing tho - FORGET THE EARPLUGS the sound is what its all about!

[The Kanisteri]

Originally posted by SirSaltire
Am I jealous or what! You will have a great time - just one thing tho - FORGET THE EARPLUGS the sound is what its all about!

I disagree. Though sound of f1 is phenomenal and wonderfull experience, it's not worth to damage your ears for it.
Have earplugs for remaining laps out of first two!

[cheesy poofs]

Originally posted by Sith


Let's organise a meeting point at the track tomorrow.. Maybe between 1st and 2nd sessions, or later in the day??

Cheesy know the place better than anybody... any idea's where??

Sith,

Check your PMs. I've left you & Aye Pirate with my mobile number. I strongly suggest to meet at the Budweiser area in the middle of the track. It's quite a festive area!!

If anyone else wants to meet, just PM me!

[saudoso]

Originally posted by SirSaltire
Am I jealous or what! You will have a great time - just one thing tho - FORGET THE EARPLUGS the sound is what its all about!

It won't turn you deaf in a week-end. Would you take them to an Iron Maiden show? You will never forget the first time you listen to them firing up those beasts.

Kangaroo, if I remmember right has a live timing channel. If yes, do it. I usually get tickets for those tents above the pits here in Sao Paulo and there are TV sets every 10 ft in there. Having the time page nearby really helps a lot on track.

[four1]

Originally posted by BMW_F1
I'll be sporting this...

Could I ask you what laundry detergent you use? That white is whiter than white. I'm really impressed and I must get me some. (my apologies to everyone for being off topic)

[jaisli]

Originally posted by saudoso




It won't turn you deaf in a week-end.

No, it probably won't. But Aye, be safe. Bring them anyway. And if you don't need them, keep them in your pocket. I've been to a number of different tracks on the calendar over the years. And depending on where you're sitting, the noise can range from 'loud' to 'simply unbearable'.

[se7en_24]

Take earplugs, no matter what people tell you here. You might not need them, you might need them though - I've found it depends which circuit, where you sit and how much the engine noise resonates. I've sat in most places not needing them but I've sat in areas where it was painful and earplugs were definitely needed and you could actually hear what the driver was doing a lot better with them in. If you want to be 'macho' then you can leave them out for a couple of laps.

People like SirSaltire have probably only been to flat places like Silverstone which leaks noise faster than anything.

[Perigee]

Originally posted by saudoso
Would you take them to an Iron Maiden show?

I didn't wear ear plugs when I saw them (Donington 88!), but funilly enough I would wear them in the unlikely event I were to attend an R 'n' B show.

At Canada you tend to be VERY close to the track, so it can be very loud (I was at the exit of the hairpin, the cars are just a few yards from you) and although they probably weren't at their loudest at that point, most people around me wore earplugs, and almost I came to wish I had. Worth having a pair and using them as-and-when. You do need to hear the raw, un-restrained sound of an F1 car if you attend a race, but it doesn't have to be for the whole time as it can border on painful if too close for too long.

As for Kangaroo, check first if you get a view of a big screen from your seat. If you don't, could be worth getting one...tried one at Spa and it was good and worth the money, but far better to be opposite a screen if poss, or the order can get confusing, depending on the nature of how the race develops.

[saudoso]

Originally posted by se7en_24
Take earplugs, no matter what people tell you here. You might not need them, you might need them though - I've found it depends which circuit, where you sit and how much the engine noise resonates. I've sat in most places not needing them but I've sat in areas where it was painful and earplugs were definitely needed and you could actually hear what the driver was doing a lot better with them in. If you want to be 'macho' then you can leave them out for a couple of laps.

People like SirSaltire have probably only been to flat places like Silverstone which leaks noise faster than anything.

May be it's my interlagos only experience... but even there once at the entry of the pit straight, exhausts pointed on me from some 34~40 meters I thought it nice. It seemed louder up to the V10's. Now is a bit dimmer. But the contrast with the GT3s is still amazing, the GT3s sound like bentleys in comparison.

[fastlegs]

Originally posted by se7en_24
Take earplugs, no matter what people tell you here. You might not need them, you might need them though

I agree.

At the USGP in 2003 I went without using my earplugs for the first 20 or so laps. After that I started to find the constant noise too uncomfortable to tolerate.

Everybody's noise tolerance is different. Play it safe and and bring a pair with you.

[CeCe]

I found in Canada I didn't use them at the hairpin but I would use them at the Senna corners. So I would say pick some up for cheap at the drug store before going (don't buy them at the track!)

Have fun!

[Josta]

Originally posted by The Kanisteri


I disagree. Though sound of f1 is phenomenal and wonderfull experience, it's not worth to damage your ears for it.
Have earplugs for remaining laps out of first two!

nope, I agree, forget the earplugs. I have never used earplugs at a GP, (Silverstone, Monaco, Hockenheim, and Catalunya), and I have no problem hearing. The sound is what makes it for me.

[Lada Lover]

The last Montreal GP I saw was 2004 and I forgot the earplugs. The noise was unbearable. It was a great race.

[stoked]

Sat in GS12 section 5 for my first ever F1 race. Had a great time. Wife wasn't so happy with the 35min walk from the Metro to the grandstand(she's not an F1 fan either). Is there a better way to get to the further GS's? Or do only the ballers in the hospitality seats or staying at the casino get to use the ferry boats and buses?

[Bumper]

So did you guys meet up in the end?....with pics?

[AyePirate]

Cheesy Poofs mentored me through my first GP. He showed me the lay of the land and some great general admission area vantage points. Cheesy Poofs is a gentleman of the highest order.
We hooked up with JHope and his lady briefly. Cheesy and J were sitting in section 34 at the hairpin and my seats were all the way at the other end of the circuit at Senna curve in section 12.

We were unable to find Sith.

Seeing F1 in person exceeded my expectations by several orders of magnitude. That's even understating it.
Ho-ly Crap!


It was a life changing experience.



More detail and pic goodness tomorrow. I am work right now.

[AyePirate]

Originally posted by AyePirate
Cheesy Poofs mentored me through my first GP. He showed me the lay of the land and some great general admission area vantage points. Cheesy Poofs is a gentleman of the highest order.
We hooked up with JHope and his lady briefly. Cheesy and J were sitting in section 34 at the hairpin and my seats were all the way at the other end of the circuit at Senna curve in section 12.

We were unable to find Sith.

Seeing F1 in person exceeded my expectations by several orders of magnitude. That's even understating it.
Ho-ly Crap!


It was a life changing experience.



More detail and pic goodness tomorrow.

Opening lap


Ham dominating the early running


Kimi




Kubica starts final lap



Kimi's stricken Ferrari


Quick Nick savoring second


DC demonstrates proper champagne spraying for the first time winner



The whole crowd says, "Nooooooooooo Don't Doooooo it" Thankfully he decided it wasn't a good idea to treat his first
GP win trophy like an empty Champagne bottle.


more here:
http://picasaweb.goo...xDuCanadaSunday

[SirSaltire]

So did you wear earplugs then?

[Sith]

Originally posted by AyePirate


We were unable to find Sith.

I sent a pm and txt msg to Cheesy, there's a post on this thread from him saying he sent a pm to me as well, but i never got it.. i'll contact either Gerry or Bumper as to why this happenned??? I posted on this thread for somewhere to meet up.. I was so wanting to catch up again with JHope as well.. Glad you had a great time at your 1st Grand Prix, your pics are really cool...

[AyePirate]

Originally posted by SirSaltire
So did you wear earplugs then?

I bought a pair outside of the Metro on Friday, but I never opened them. Cheesy took me to a few spots during Saturday Free Practice
that would have been unbearable for race length viewing but tolerable for the time I was there. I needed to hear them without the plugs to get the full sensory experience. As Cheesy suggested, an interesting thing is to stand on one of the footbridges and feel the rpms through the soles of your feet. You can't see the cars, but It's really odd to hear with your feet.


Sunday just before I went up to my seat I saw an unhappy looking little boy with his dad that had his fingers in his ears (cars going by on installation lap). I gave my unopened pack of plugs to him. His dad was very grateful.

[Frank Booth]

This wasn't my 1st GP but it was my 1st non USGP.

I have to give a big to Montreal as a city, the people were very nice and the entire city seemed to be in GP mode. The crescent st. area was packed. I went down there Thu night but I have to admit the other nights I was kinda tired and couldn't handle being in the midst of 1000's of people. The Metro was easy to navigate, I just basically followed everyone else.

The big mistake of the weekend I made was on Sat. while going to the Metro station with the rest of the sardines I had the brilliant idea of walking the bridge, it looks like it goes straight across the river into the downtown area and there is hardly any people walking on it. Well 1 1/2 hours later when I got to the end I was at the bottom of a freeway bridge with no side walk.