Upon reflection my qualifying report is split into three sections - they day, the night and top tips.
The day
So our day was great, the journey to the track was good and entry was really easy. We wondered what the deal was once we were in but as soon as we were through the gate the track was right there! Having done some research before hand we decided to go to the Kimmel straight and settled ourselves on the hill for practice 3. It was good there but it was so busy and unless you are there at the crack of dawn it is difficult to get a good spot so we thought before qualifying we'd go investigating and see if there was anywhere else to sit. We ended up at corner 8/9 again on a steep slope but with a great view, not too far from a TV screen and also on the corner they had to slow down quite a bit so you actually see them approaching, round the corner then off again. We were all settled when the heavens opened - luckily we were equipped in full waterproofs! But then the rain turned to hail after qualifying had finished! We tried hiding in the woods with everyone else but this is when the coach comes in handy as you could strip off the waterproofs and just sit there! We had a great day, as did Rosberg on pole, experienced all weathers and saw the cars in their full glory. On our way wandering around the track during GP2 we were near another corner when a full on crashed happened - polystyrene everywhere and car in the tyre wall - luckily everyone was OK but it was a dramatic end to our Saturday at the track!
The night
Our hotel was in Namur so we thought we'd go exploring, grab some muscles and frittes and obviously some Belgium beer! Wandering around we totally felt like we were on Somewhere Street - a Japanese programme that Sarah introduced me too where you don't see the host, they walk round with a hand held camera exploring and meeting people. It's all translated, it's a great show! Namur is totally a place that would be on that show, quiet Belgium back streets with bars full of people drinking the beer. You turn down a quiet street and end up in a square with a grand church and interesting sculptures. We got our muscles and frittes and ended the meal with a delicious cappuccino - different from ours and no milk but instead lots of whipped cream! We then found a pub and had some of our fave Belgium beers - Orval, Rochefort 8 and a kriek. There was a very interesting games machine in the pub, not like an arcade machine where you hit a button and hope, this you needed to think about!! We had a little corner shop nearby our hotel so we stocked up on snacks to take to the race and noticed they had a fridge full of cheap (well compared to the UK) Belgium beer so before we come home we're going to stock up!
Top Tips
- Take chairs - you never know what the weather will be like and they provide a welcome relief from the floor - camping ones are also easy to carry
- Cover all weathers - we were thankful for those waterproofs
- Suss out where to sit for the race on qualifying day - it will only be busier on race day so best to figure it out the day before
- We didn't do this but we did see people with shovels to flatten out the hill - not sure about that one!
- An over sized poncho to cover you, your chair and your bag for really heavy down pours isn't a bad idea to have in case the weather doesn't let up as I ended up sitting in a puddle
- Get there early for a good seat or go for a very steep hill where people don't get in the way
- Walk past long queues for toilets, food and drink as there will be a shorter one not too far away
Tomorrow is race day!!!
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