Ultimate driving: Get on track
The craze for privateer track days is at an all time high, and the start of the Formula 1 season is only likely to add to the noise pollution generated by Europe’s race tracks. For as little as £50, you can spend a day thrashing your own car around some of the best-known racing venues with full safety back-up and no risk of being nabbed for speeding. Alternatively, a number of venues will allow you to have a go on their Porsches, Ferraris and even F1 cars.
Trackdays.co.uk, the UK’s leading organiser of track day events and circuit driving experiences has seen a 400% increase in take up in the past five years. Here is a list of some of the best tracks in Europe where you book yourself in for some serious thrills.
• Brands Hatch, Kent, UK
Set in natural amphitheatre, Brands is one of the best loved and most exciting tracks in Britain. Make the most of the flat-out blast along the main straight, but watch out for Pilgrim’s Drop at the end.
• Rockingham Speedway, Northamptonshire, UK
The Rockingham Motor Speedway is a £70m state of the art motor racing stadium with 52,000 seats and a 1.5-mile oval speedway circuit running around the tighter tracks inside. The real draw is the opportunity to drive a genuine F1 car, a 1996 Forti FG03 that was originally piloted by Italian Luca Badoer, though at £1,800 per person for the day, it’s far from cheap.
• Circuit Paul Ricard, Casa del Mar, France
The Hotel du Castellet is favourite spot for F1 drivers, offering guests a fitness room with all the latest equipment. It also includes two pools, a beach golf course and access to the Paul Ricard set in a nearby forest.
• Monza, Milan, Italy With just three significant curves in its entire length, Monza was built to encourage speed and was once famous for some epic set-tos, with drivers slipstreaming one another and going for glory on the home straight. Chicanes are now in place to improve safety but this is still a dream circuit – especially from behind the wheel of a Ferrari.
• Nürburgring, near Nürburg, Germany
Jackie Stewart called it “The Green Hell” and said that the only time he felt good about racing at “The Ring” was when he’d made it safely home. Long, exhausting and exceptionally dangerous, the 13 miles and 73 bends have seen numerous serious accidents – but the lure of “The Ring” never seems to weaken.
• Ascari Race Resort, Ronda, near Marbella, Spain
The Ascari race track is located in a beautiful secluded valley and at just under 5.5km is the longest in Spain. Many of the corners have been designed to emulate legendary racing curves, including Eau Rouge, Paddock Hill and the Karrousel. The resort also includes a 20 room luxury hotel, which means you have a realistic chance of dragging your other half along for the weekend.
For more information, visit www.trackdays.co.uk for a full list of available circuits and information about driving experience events.
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