Thinking about heading out on a Formula 1 Race weekend with Leger Holidays? Formula 1 fan, competition winner and Leger Customer, Joseph Rogers can tell you all about it.
We recently ran a competition courtesy of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya offering an amazing experience to attend the Formula 1 pre-season testing in Barcelona with a VIP pass. Our lucky winner was Joseph Rogers, an avid Formula 1 fan. Joseph has been on two Leger See it Live tours previously and has kindly written a blog of his three Leger experiences for you to enjoy.
Formula 1 – Open to All
Since its inception in 1950, Formula 1 has been portrayed across the globe as the epitome of financial exuberance in sport. Even before the days of oily rags and hay bale barriers, it was very much the affluent proportion of society that guided motorsport from the comfort of English stately homes and large multinational companies.
Now with worldwide sponsorship, superstar drivers, and events spanning almost every continent, the story of Formula 1 is still very much bound to that of money… and lots of it.
Today, this can sometimes give the impression that to enjoy the sport outside of the television requires as much money as it does to run a team. Ticket prices, whilst always the subject of change, are often advertised to draw eccentric business-owners, corporate heavy-weights and those in the higher tax bracket.
On top of that, flights and hotels with links to the sport do little to encourage a cheap motorsport themed getaway and the logistics of getting to circuits outside of major city boundaries get ever more complicated.
Thankfully, this creates a niche in the market for companies offering Formula 1 holidays. With financial predicaments at the forefront for many in the UK, getting value for money on something as important as a once-in-a-lifetime trip is of crucial importance.
For a Formula 1 fan, who has to account for the price of a ticket on top of the travel costs, value for money can make-or-break the experience.
Enter: Leger Holidays. A company that not only provides seamless travel arrangements to places all over Europe, but does so with utmost enthusiasm and professionalism.
Belgian Grand Prix, 2013
I first travelled with Leger to the 2013 Belgian Grand Prix and was blown away not only by the screaming pitch of the soon-to-be-axed V8 engines but also the ease with which the whole experience was conducted.
I was picked up from a location close to my home, by taxi and taken to the coach waiting for me at the nearest motorway junction. There, I was greeted by 2 drivers as keen to get the track as I was and who clearly has a passion for what they did.
After a cup of tea, we were on our way to Dover and onwards to Belgium, where Formula 1 became a reality for the first time and sheer pleasure resulted from knowing that Leger were allowing me to see my cherished sport first-hand.
Monaco Grand Prix, 2014
I didn’t hesitate in booking again for 2014, this time; Monaco. In my mind, seeing the world-famous Monaco Grand Prix, was the stuff of dreams. By far the most exotic race on the calendar, I was astonished to find it in Leger’s list of See It Live events and at only a slight increase in price on Belgium.
What resulted was some of the most euphoric days of my life. Even the monumental coach journey from Taunton down to the south French coast, was full of sights, laughter, a pub-quiz and the perfect amount of service stops before our hotel over the border in Italy.
At the race, joy erupted at the thought of being amongst the rich and famous. Even from the general admission area, celebrities and drivers could be seen a few feet away amongst the super yachts and champagne-covered balconies.
A reflection of the thought, that I was there, and (at the time) unemployed, amateur author in the middle of the world’s most exuberant show of wealth, was simply life-changing. The experience promptly inspired 2 chapters of A Spectrum Of Settlements, my second publication and the first on the subject of travelling.
2 years later, I’ve just come back from Barcelona and the 2016 Formula 1 pre-season test, again courtesy of Leger.
What Leger Holidays offer, with each and every package whether it be the Monaco Grand Prix or a French Battlefield tour, is the opportunity to experience your life’s passion within financial comfort and peace in knowing that from door-to-door you’ll be taken care of by happy, hard-working people that are as excited to travel as you are.
Formula 1 is not out of reach and not for the privileged few. It’s an enthusiast’s sport, supported by the fans and enjoyed by those truly passionate about motorsport. Thanks to Leger Holidays, we can all enjoy the sport we love.
Burgos is also home to the Baby Jumping festival and, yes, you would be forgiven for being intrigued about the title. Known as the El Colacho, it has taken place every year since the 1620’s. The festival is free to join for any new born baby. Swaddled in blankets, they are laid on the ground where grown men, dressed as the devil, jump over the babies to cleanse them of evil spirits. The slightly bizarre festival is part of celebrations held nationally for the Catholic festival of Corpus Christi.
Whilst in Alicante, you will be drawn to the Santa Barbara Castle. One of Europe’s largest Fortresses. Perched on the top of Mount Benacantil, it has everything you’d imagine from a medieval castle from cannons, dungeons and even a moat. Best of all it offers fabulous views across the city. Or, of course, you could savour the moment and take advantage of the beautiful sandy beaches.
