Annual trip to Catalunya

[Steve M]

Three more races were added to this year’s rather strange F1 championship - the interesting one for me is at Portimao, Algarve in late October.
It seems it is going to be open to the public as tickets went on sale this evening - son and I currently plotting a cunning plan to get out there.
The only obstacle is that Portugal hasn’t been added to the government no quarantine area yet.

[dtb]

yes that's a great circuit, good luck on your trip, I'll be at Silverstone next year

[Phil s]

Nice to see some F 1 fans on here, it was frowned on at one forum I was on. Only interested in over paid fairys kicking a bag of wind about a field!

[Steve M]

yes that's a great circuit, good luck on your trip, I'll be at Silverstone next year

We’ve already had this year’s Silverstone tickets rolled over to next year.
I went out to Portimao in 2008 when it held an F1 test just before Christmas that year - I always said that if they got a full race I’d be back.

I took this at the 2008 test.



I might get my chance to return this year but there are a few obstacles.
The biggest being the need to self isolate for two weeks after the event unless the government changes its restrictions for travel.
Then there is the cost of flights - a return to Faro is usually less than £100 but the airlines are currently quoting nearer £300!

And you thought model railways were expensive.

[bulleidboy]

With the current COVID situation in Spain I wonder whether the F1 teams will risk it - especially as you now have to quarantine for two weeks when you get back - if your coming to the UK. At least the Spanish date is after the UK event.

[Steve M]

The teams are cocooned in bubbles with secure transport between track and hotel plus C19 tests for all personnel every five days - only two positives so far and they weren’t travelling staff.
No spectators allowed in BCN either.

Portimao is slightly different as tickets went on sale yesterday (website crashed before I could get mine) but I’m hoping I can get a couple tomorrow.

Travel restrictions are a worry though as travellers returning from there have to self isolate for two weeks - I’ve already booked extra time off from work if the restrictions aren’t lifted by then. Apart from the flights we should be able to keep a decent gap to others and combine that with plenty of hand sanitizer and face masks. Probably less risky than going to work at the supermarket to be honest.

Lots of ifs and buts around this trip and probably unlikely that it will all fall into place, but no harm in trying.

[IanS]

One has to live in hope, so I hope the Grand Prix in Spain and Portugal go ahead as planned and that you're able to make the trip safely (both there and back!).

[Steve M]

It appears that my embryonic plans have crashed and burned.

The ticket office website crashed and has not recovered. Prospective buyers are required to register an account that will then allow access to the ticket office - all I can get is the ‘spinning wheel of doom’ when I try.

Meanwhile the locals have all snapped up the more reasonably priced tickets so that if I can register, all that is left are the €400+ tickets.
It’s not going to happen.

Shame really as I’d even sorted out extra time off to cope with the required quarantine.

[IanS]

As FCO now advises against all but essential travel to Spain, normal holiday insurance is likely to be invalidated. Maybe it's for the best. Just spend the money you've saved on a few locos and a F1 subscription to Sky if you've not already got one.

[Steve M]

The FCO advice extends to Portugal but I was hoping that their significantly lower infection rate, it may have reopened by October.
Seems the ‘choice’ has been taken away from me.

Ian, the locos are already on pre-order.