27th November - You HAVE to go see the F1!



Attending a live F1 race is a real bucket list item, even to those who aren't fully obsessed with the sport. My own personal journey through the world of Formula One has been a real rollercoaster, in all honesty. From an ardent infatuation around 1997 onwards, thanks to the likes of Mika Hakkinen, David Coulthard, Jacques Villeneuve, and Eddie Irvine, I'd sit in the pub with my Father on Sundays, watching the likes of Heinz Harald-Frentzen, before going home to play F1 games on my N64, re-enacting classic moments from the races I'd just seen on TV. My obsession with F1 lasted - strongly - until around 2003-ish, when the likes of Ralf Schumacher, Juan Pablo Montoya, and Rubens Barrichello all put up a feeble fight to Michael Schumacher's domination and the sport began to become glumly predictable.




There were, of course, exceptions to this. The battle between Lewis Hamilton, Felipe Massa, and Kimi Raikkonen at Brazil's Interlagos circuit in both 2007 and 2008 was perhaps the most thrilling finale we'd seen up until the 2021 culmination in Abu Dhabi. That race reignited my love for the sport, and from watching that final lap on a TV in a random bar in Amsterdam, I told myself I'd be there the following year. Yas Marina didn't quite offer the same drama last weekend, but it was a stunning 4-day extravaganza of fun, which started with a special walk down the pit-lane for fans on Thursday. The vibe was incredible, and to be offered a glimpse into the action in such a first-hand manner, walking along the starting grid and over the start/finish line, was a fantastic start to the weekend. 




In addition to each day of racing at Abu Dhabi, which included practice, qualifying, and the race itself, the wonderful Etihad Park, a nearby location situated a short walk from the circuit, and on the back of 'Ferrari World', a specialised theme park, hosted 4 days of special afterparty concerts. Starting with Usher and Dave on Thursday (not my cup of tea, so I gave it a miss), there were further events on Saturday (Kendrick Lamar), and Sunday (Def Leppard). To be fair, I gave them a miss too, 'cuz they're shiiiiiiittt, but on Friday night, the Swedish House Mafia were in town. Full production in toe, and it gave me a chance to complete a trilogy of 'Paradise Again' shows within the past 3 months, following previous editions in New York and London. Yes, the F1 is expensive, but a ticket to Yas Marina means so much more than just racing. There's 4 full days and nights of glitz, glamour, food, drink, fireworks, music, great atmosphere, and special after-race gigs....




.... I'd recommend it to anyone! 

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