Google+ Jack Leslie F1: 2015 Spanish Grand Prix: Wednesday

6 May 2015

2015 Spanish Grand Prix: Wednesday

The first day of my week-long trip to Spain for round five of the F1 2015 season was full of contrasts. 
From standing in the rain at a tube station to wandering through a park in Barcelona, it was a pretty busy 15 hours or so. 

It kicked off with a 4:30am alarm, before I prepared to head off to the tube station. Typically for the UK, it was raining, which - as you can imagine - made the wait on the platform all the more enjoyable. 

Three different tube lines and one train later and I was at Gatwick Airport for my flight to Barcelona. I met up with friends and fellow journalists Luke Smith and Phil Horton and we made our way through to our gate. 

The plane journey was fairly short and was what you would expect from a budget Spanish airline. We landed at 10 to 12, collected our bags and waited for Phil to sort out the hire car and Richland F1 writer Rosie Baillie to arrive. 
 After grabbing some lunch, we headed to the hotel – which is a little way out of Barcelona – and then headed back for a look around the old Montjuïc street circuit, which previously hosted the Spanish Grand Prix four times between 1969 and 1975. 

We ended up wandering around some parks above the circuit, which provided us with some truly spectacular views of the city – the pictures don’t do it justice! Off in the distance we could see some of Barcelona’s most famous landmarks, like the Sagrada Família. The four of us then sat in a bar at the top of the hill, before heading back to the car. 

Just a few minutes later, we were driving along the streets of the Montjuïc circuit, where greats like Jackie Stewart and Graham Hill raced around many years ago. It was incredible to try and imagine the speeds that the drivers were hitting around the track. 
 
There were some really tricky corners, including a few hairpins, and some very high-speed sections, which I imagine were tough to master back in the late 1960s and early 70s. It was well worth the trip into Barcelona, as it was quite special to drive the route so many fantastic drivers raced around. 

Thursday is when the work really begins. First of all, I have to collect my media pass, before setting up in the media centre, attending driver press sessions and writing up content on the weekend ahead. 

Be sure to check out Richland F1 over the next week or so for full coverage of the Spanish Grand Prix from Rosie and I. Also, follow us on Twitter for all of the latest news and live commentary. I’ll also be posting daily blogs right here, as I did at the three races I attended last year.

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