Spa GP, Belgium 2024

I haven't been into F1 for that long; only a couple of years. These guys are experts and they know the corner names on tracks without Googling it or looking at signposts. Spa is one of my favourite track-tracks, so going here was cool as heck, but for a couple of them it was an emotional experience and that was great to share.

I don't hang out with groups of people that much as I mostly don't like who I am in groups, and I think groups tend to share that opinion, but we spent just over three days laughing and talking crap and watching racing and it felt so good. I talk way too much and I try to make people laugh too much and I make stupid jokes that don't work and I didn't spend one moment of this weekend feeling ashamed or embarrassed because we were all just messing around. It was so strange to be myself in a group I don't know that well in real life, and not hate myself afterwards because that pretty much happens every other time.

Some things I would recommend if you're going to Spa on a bronze ticket:

• Know where you're camping before you leave. Some of the sites are so fiddly to find
• Bring a folding chair (don't bring a complex chair and then put it up in front of 50,000 people. I did this and people cheered when I sat down. It was really embarrassing and funny)
• Bring a small shovel to dig out the hill so you can sit flat on your chair
• They used an alt currency this year. If you hate those like I do, bring plenty of food and drink
• Bring a waterproof poncho. Not a coat. Being able to put your arms inside means no/less pruney fingers
• Add your tickets to the app
• Get your seats early. Think you're too early? You're not. We arrived at the track at 8am on race day and it was already packed. I think 6:30am is the most sensible. We still had a great view but we got very lucky that there was space around a group we got talking to during the very rainy qualifiers
• Bring a way to wash your hands

I loved this experience so much. Obviously it was as much to do with the people I went with, but the atmosphere at the race was so positive, and the sound and smell and just experience of it all was unforgettable.