From Singapore to Abu Dhabi - 4 Unforgettable Formula 1 Trips
Ready, set, go!
If you know me (Mike), you know that I’m a big Formula 1 fan.
You might also know that I’m kind of into traveling.
Put two and two together and you get a very happy Mike traveling to Formula 1 races around the world.
Out of approximately 24 global F1 races, I’ve attended four so far. With the last one having happened just last weekend. Curious to know what it’s like to attend these races?
Buckle up and enjoy these replays!
🇸🇬 Singapore, Singapore 2019
Winner: Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari
The first F1 I attended, was arguably one of the most famous ones.
Each year, the drivers “explore” the city centre of Singapore in 62 speedy laps. Since two of my friends lived in Singapore for a year, it only made sense to visit them and enjoy this spectacular race.
On the 18th of September 2019, we flew on China Southern from Amsterdam, through Guangzhou to Singapore. The Dutch Embassy in Singapore made tickets available for Dutch supporters, giving us our self-proclaimed ‘Max Verstappen Tribune’.
When nighttime fell on Sunday evening, the race started. 20 cars made their way through the streets of Singapore as fast as possible.
I can attest, it was as impressive as it sounds.
After seeing Sebastian Vettel win his last race at Ferrari, and eventually also his last race of his F1 career, they opened parts of the track to us spectators. We were able to stroll along the race track where a mere 15 minutes ago the F1 cars battled for the podium.
The rest of the weekend was spent catching up with my friends, exploring beautiful Singapore, and enjoying a party or two. (My wallet still remembers…)
After a great trip and an exciting F1 race, it was time to fly back to Amsterdam on Monday and start planning our next F1 adventure…
🇧🇪 Spa, Belgium, 2021
Winner: Max Verstappen, Red Bull
Since Spa-Francorchamps was the closest circuit to The Netherlands for a long time, it was considered a “home race” by many Dutch fans.
Until the introduction of Zandvoort to the F1 calendar in 2022, of course 😏
In August 2021, we assembled most of the Singapore 2019 crew and made the trip to our southern neighbors to witness the F1 cars blaze through the Belgium hills. Despite the heavy rain on the weekend, we were able to enjoy some of the practice sessions and the qualifying lap in the sun, where Max Verstappen expertly placed himself in pole position.
Many F1 fans will remember this as the race where it rained so heavily, that the start was constantly being postponed.
And in the end, the race didn’t start at all.
And you know what?
Despite not seeing the cars race on Sunday, we still had an absolute blast during the weekend with each other. At a certain point, our clothes were so wet that we didn’t even care anymore. It was just a matter of having fun with each other and making the most of it all.
We were even quite lucky on the way out since quite some visitors were unable to get their cars out of the muddy grass car parks. It it turned out that local farmers had to help tow the cars using their tractors. Whilst some fans were waiting to be saved by these local heroes, we were already warming up back at home.
Which is where our story continues…
🇳🇱 Zandvoort, The Netherlands, 2022
Winner: Max Verstappen, Red Bull
Now we are talking about a true home race.
Zandvoort is only 20 kilometers from where Hannah and I live, which meant that I could venture there in proper Dutch F1 style.
By bike 😎
Also, no risk of getting stuck in the mud this time!
It's September 2022, the sun is shining, and Zandvoort is colored orange. If you’ve ever watched a Zandvoort Grand Prix, you’ll know that 99% of the people are orange-wearing Max Verstappen fans. Together with King’s Day, Zandvoort F1 feels like one of the biggest national parties we have in The Netherlands.
I attended the race with one of my best friends, but we only had tickets to stand in the dunes. Lucky for us, our other friend was attending the race with his family, and they had seated tickets on one of the grandstands. And during the first two days of the F1 weekend, there was lots of space over there…
It would only be right to take this opportunity and get a closer look, right?
We joined them on the grandstands and enjoyed the F1 cars blazing by, beer in hand, sun on our faces. The dream!
Come Sunday, the real party started.
Since the grandstands were a lot busier now, we found a spot in the dunes to watch the cars take on the Zandvoort circuit. We managed to find a place around Turn 6 and enjoyed the spectacle.
If you’ve seen this race, you know that the home favorite, Max Verstappen won. Just believe me when I say that when Max wins at Zandvoort, the place erupts.
And the perfect ending to such a party? Simply hopping on my bike after watching my favorite driver win.
🇦🇪 Abu Dhabi, UAE, 2023
Winner: Max Verstappen, Red Bull
The latest addition to my F1 trips happened last week.
Together with my dad and brother, we set off to cheer Max on during the last race of the 2023 season. We left Amsterdam on Wednesday evening to connect through Paris and finally landed in Abu Dhabi on Thursday morning.
💡 We traveled with Air France again, and the leg between Paris and Abu Dhabi was done in Premium Economy. If you read our last post on our Air France Premium Economy experience, you might remember that it was a bit of a letdown. However, Air France redeemed itself with this trip! Full review coming soon.
During the weekend, we got to enjoy two different air shows. The first one was an aerobatic display by the Al Fursan team on Saturday and the second one was an Etihad flyover just before the race.
While the second one was a cool sight, the first one was nothing less than jaw-dropping.
The 6 aerobatic planes performed loops, stalling maneuvers, and flew in formation, all while flying side by side. It was an incredibly impressive form of art.
Shortly after the Etihad flyby, the final race of the 2023 season started with all 19 cars chasing the man on pole position, Max Verstappen. We had great seats at Turn 5, with a view of the first big braking zone of the circuit. After the turn we could watch the cars chase each other through the DRS zone.
Finally, Max Verstappen closed out his record-breaking season with a win in Abu Dhabi. Not only did he already win the world championship earlier in the year, but he also did it in the most dominating way in Formula 1 history, more than doubling the points of the runner-up - his teammate at Red Bull, Checo Perez.
It was a great weekend with my dad and brother as we explored the United Arab Emirates and enjoyed the race weekend.
Abu Dhabi and Dubai were intriguing to say the least, but that’s a story for another time 🤫
After a short night's sleep, it was time to catch the morning flight to Paris again, and after a quick connection, we were safely back in Amsterdam.
Another great F1 weekend in the books!
So, what’s next?
I honestly don’t know.
Yet.
I definitely want to visit another F1 race next year if possible. They’re a great way to combine two of my passions and a great excuse for a weekend adventure!
What do you think?
I’m also curious to hear which F1 track you’d be most eager to visit yourself. Let me know in the comments with one of the 2024 options:
🇧🇭 🇸🇦 🇦🇺 🇯🇵 🇨🇳 🇺🇸 🇮🇹 🇲🇨 🇨🇦 🇪🇸 🇦🇹 🇬🇧 🇭🇺 🇧🇪 🇳🇱 🇮🇹 🇦🇿 🇸🇬 🇺🇸 🇲🇽 🇧🇷 🇺🇸 🇶🇦 🇦🇪
See you next week for another Mapping Memories!
Las Vegas soon 👀