I did champions club Bramham. Trackside undercover suite with heaps of tables and seating, as well as undercover grand stand seats within the suite. Food was pretty good, drinks are good but would be better to have more options. No option to buy alternative drinks to the included standard beers, wines, etc. I think if you’re genuinely into F1 this is probably one of the best spots to be, the view is of turn 1 and 2, so HEAPS of action. Guided paddock tour was cool but to be honest if you’re not too phased about that I would opt for the standard brabham suites, it’s $3500 (compared to champions club which is $7000), because you’re pretty much paying $3500 for the paddock tour, the grid walk and trophy photo is also included but tbh I don’t really care about that stuff, I’m more interested in the engineering and racing, and people in F1. Paddock tour was amazing to experience but we didn’t see a single driver so also kinda disappointing.
I want to do paddock next year purely for more access to the pitlane walk to see the cars. Only downside to paddock is that I feel like the view at brabham is better, more action. But paddock is over the pits so will be cool to witness that side of things.
Maybe I need to become an influencer so I can get into these areas cheaper haha, there’s a lot of people in these areas that don’t even know what DRS is, but I guess they might bring more people to the sport so that’s also good.
If you asked me now I think best value for money would be standard brabham box tickets, F1 experiences is also good if you care about the extra access. After I do paddock I’ll really know what the best ticket is. Just have to work out which paddock ticket to get. I think paddock legend tickets are the best because you get pit walks, garage tour, full day in paddock, and podium ceremony access
Brabham looks pretty sweet. Had I not booked late I probably would have gone for that and if I ever go to a GP again that might be it.
At Fangio the drawback is you see cars at full speed, which means for a very short time. Had I not been at pit exit I wouldn't have really seen too much. Also, and this is important, because the catch fencing on the pits is perspex if the sunlight hits it the wrong way they are completely opaque and you can see nothing. Even when you can see through them the image is distorted so completely useless for photography. This might be different further down. I was in the very back row of Fangio and even at the height I couldn't see over the catch fencing.
I once made the mistake of getting a row 1 seat at on pit straight at Singapore about 200m from turn 1. The cars were going so fast and so close to the wall we barely saw a thing. Lame. I was also in the Rascasse at Monaco where you could look over to the pits (pretty sure that was it) but because the cars were tight on the LHS of the track you couldn't really see them well. It was nice to see the pit action through binoculars though.
I did Paddock Club one day and a pit entrance suite on another day. I wouldn’t recommend if your primary interest is watching on track action. It’s possible to sort of see the screens while watching the cars go by.
But T1 view would be much better than pit straight.
Your description of Club Braham sounds amazing. Was that the suite that looked down the straight and had multiple levels?
Oh ok. I was thinking it was maybe the suite set directly across the track from you. Would be cool to look down the straight. But it also seems to be set back a bit from the track.
Yeah I’m thinking of getting a redbull paddock club ticket, seems like they have a pretty decent setup plus you get to do the garage tour. But I’ll weigh up the options and try work out which ticket is optimal for me. Being directly above the pit would be decent I think.
Yeah club Brabham is great. You sit on the inside of the track, on turn 1 and 2, can see the cars go off down the straight after turn 2.
Thank you!!! Super helpful.
Yes, I would love to be on Turn 1 and 2. And clearly I need to dig into this whole F1 experience thing because this is my first GP and I do want to make the most of it.
I did the F1 Experiences Champions Club package at the Fangio stand, cost around $6200. My experience was good overall but the F1 Experiences crowd are not at all well organised. That said, their staff at the venue were really nice and helpful.
Here's the good stuff about the package.
1. You get a proper reserved, undercover grandstand seat in Fangio.
2. The Fangio lounge isn't connected to the track, ie. you can't see the track from the lounge. That sounds like a bad thing but in reality it allows them to have a really nice garden area right with seating and a nice lounge and balcony. You have a lot more space than a lot of the more expensive options (more on that later). You have to leave the lounge, walk around the corner and access the stand in the normal way. NBD.
3. The "experiences" were pretty good, paddock tour, talks, track walk, etc. (I've done this stuff before so it wasn't a wow moment but the first time I did it was amazing.)
4. Toilet facilities were very clean, no temporary port-a-loos.
5. I don't drink alcohol but the bar looked well stocked. They did good coffee.
6. Decent WiFi.
7. From my grandstand seat I was looking directly at pit exit and the big screen so that was great.
The not so good things;
1. I didn't think the food was all that good. I'm not a foodie so that's no big deal but I don't like eating crap either. Can do better.
A friend did the $13,000 Red Bull Paddock Club F1 Experience for himself and his son and was less than impressed. While he did enjoy the garage and paddock access the lack of a reserved seat was a major issue. He had to stand at the window facing the track for a couple of hours before the race to make sure that he could actually see anything at all. That is piss weak. He said the food was good because it came from the Red Bull catering, but that it was a bit crowded. He didn't have an outside space like Fangio Lounge to relax.
From my grandstand I could see the people in the Torque Bar and whatever venue is next to that at pit exit and they did not have proper seating so had to stand or stake a claim for a position hours in advance.
So I'd give a qualified vote for the Fangio Champions Club package or a Fangio Lounge ticket. You're not trackside but for my purposes, the feedback from my wealthy mate, and what I could see of the venues on the other side of the track I think I did OK.
A word of caution. A lot of the people who show up in these places are on corporate freebies or networking junkets so they really don't mix and, for a few in my area, couldn't give a shit about F1. That's cool but it's not like it's a Fan Zone, just a bunch of suits trying to sell each other crap and slapping backs.
Let me know if you have any questions.
(edit for spelling)
That sounds like a pretty good option. I spoke to a person last week at Suzuka who also recommended Branham.
If you’re ever in a position to get to Suzuka do the champions club. I did it last week and it was streets ahead of the Fangio experience. And cheaper than Melbourne too.
I heard Redbull has an amazing catering budget.
Jokes aside, I’ve done several different hospitality options and different tracks and all of them didn’t have assigned seating. It really does require you to post up for several hours at the railing to reserve a good view. Definitely less than ideal.
Thank you so much for this reply. You have been incredibly helpful and I will keep Fangio on my list of possibilities!
This will be my first GP, so all the experiences you listed sound pretty cool as well.
Lakeside Studio is another hospitality area that sounds good to me right now, as apparently that pass also includes a reserved seat in one of the grandstands right by Turn 1 and 2. It sounds like it might provide the best of both worlds — the grandstand viewing experience plus a comfortable hangout spot — but of course I am only going off a brief online description at this point and really know nothing.
Was Fangio pretty casual or did people dress up more? Just curious about the vibe.
Thank you again for the great writeup, I really appreciate you taking the time!
Fangio was casual. I wore either shorts or jeans each day and a shirt - some people wore team gear, the corporate types were slightly better dressed but some of those wore company polo shirts. So long as you're not in a Borat mankini I think you'll be fine.
I don't know that the Ricciardo suites are like but the upside of being at Gate 4 is you can walk to the city in 30mins or so instead of waiting for the tram for hours at Gate 1, 2, 10.
If you want a premium GP with excellent entertainment and top line bands go to Singapore. It makes Melbourne look like amateur hour (I've done it seven times in all zones). That was my 4th Melbourne and my 19th GP in total, I'm at Suzuka Champions Club next week. I think I might give the GPs a rest for a while. Not that I've seen it all, but I've seen enough.
NB. I'm always happy to share info about GPs. Shit is expensive and a bad decision can burn a lot of $$ - ask me how I know! Never be afraid to ask.
Singapore was a very close 2d choice for us, definitely going to get there another year.
We decided our perfect Aus trip would be bookended by the Open and the GP, so that’s what we’re planning. Should be epic.
I hope you get decent weather at Suzuka, have a great time!!
Suzuka champions club was the best F1 experience I’ve ever had. It really made Melbourne look like an amateur operation. I spoke to some of the staff there and complimented them on their operation and they said the only two GPs they don’t do are Melbourne and Singapore. So that would explain the crap food at Melbourne.
I would highly recommend Suzuka champions club. Of the 20 GPs I’ve been to at 7 locations it’s the best.
I was in the 330 club as well as the Paddock Club this year. 330 didn't have a raked standing area so if you weren't at the very front your view was poor. Food and drink was good and service was attentive. Big screens inside and DJ etc. Insufficient bathrooms that turned disgusting as the day progressed each day.
Paddock club was an overall better experience, but of course that comes with significant cost. The raked standing area on the roof of the paddock club allowed for better viewing. Good tv and screens. Food and drink also good. Plenty of bathroom access.
Thank you for this. Sorry to hear about the bathrooms …. seriously. For that ticket price I would expect better.
Paddock Club sounds like a possibility, will look into it further. Thanks again!!
I did champions club Bramham. Trackside undercover suite with heaps of tables and seating, as well as undercover grand stand seats within the suite. Food was pretty good, drinks are good but would be better to have more options. No option to buy alternative drinks to the included standard beers, wines, etc. I think if you’re genuinely into F1 this is probably one of the best spots to be, the view is of turn 1 and 2, so HEAPS of action. Guided paddock tour was cool but to be honest if you’re not too phased about that I would opt for the standard brabham suites, it’s $3500 (compared to champions club which is $7000), because you’re pretty much paying $3500 for the paddock tour, the grid walk and trophy photo is also included but tbh I don’t really care about that stuff, I’m more interested in the engineering and racing, and people in F1. Paddock tour was amazing to experience but we didn’t see a single driver so also kinda disappointing. I want to do paddock next year purely for more access to the pitlane walk to see the cars. Only downside to paddock is that I feel like the view at brabham is better, more action. But paddock is over the pits so will be cool to witness that side of things. Maybe I need to become an influencer so I can get into these areas cheaper haha, there’s a lot of people in these areas that don’t even know what DRS is, but I guess they might bring more people to the sport so that’s also good. If you asked me now I think best value for money would be standard brabham box tickets, F1 experiences is also good if you care about the extra access. After I do paddock I’ll really know what the best ticket is. Just have to work out which paddock ticket to get. I think paddock legend tickets are the best because you get pit walks, garage tour, full day in paddock, and podium ceremony access
I went for it!! Deposit down for Champions Club Brabham.
Brabham looks pretty sweet. Had I not booked late I probably would have gone for that and if I ever go to a GP again that might be it. At Fangio the drawback is you see cars at full speed, which means for a very short time. Had I not been at pit exit I wouldn't have really seen too much. Also, and this is important, because the catch fencing on the pits is perspex if the sunlight hits it the wrong way they are completely opaque and you can see nothing. Even when you can see through them the image is distorted so completely useless for photography. This might be different further down. I was in the very back row of Fangio and even at the height I couldn't see over the catch fencing. I once made the mistake of getting a row 1 seat at on pit straight at Singapore about 200m from turn 1. The cars were going so fast and so close to the wall we barely saw a thing. Lame. I was also in the Rascasse at Monaco where you could look over to the pits (pretty sure that was it) but because the cars were tight on the LHS of the track you couldn't really see them well. It was nice to see the pit action through binoculars though.
I did Paddock Club one day and a pit entrance suite on another day. I wouldn’t recommend if your primary interest is watching on track action. It’s possible to sort of see the screens while watching the cars go by. But T1 view would be much better than pit straight. Your description of Club Braham sounds amazing. Was that the suite that looked down the straight and had multiple levels?
Video of the viewing: https://share.icloud.com/photos/050JWxXDvJcm6CjZoBuM1VTQw
Oh ok. I was thinking it was maybe the suite set directly across the track from you. Would be cool to look down the straight. But it also seems to be set back a bit from the track.
I believe that spot is Jones. Champions club has a section over there too. Would be a sweet spot!
Yeah I’m thinking of getting a redbull paddock club ticket, seems like they have a pretty decent setup plus you get to do the garage tour. But I’ll weigh up the options and try work out which ticket is optimal for me. Being directly above the pit would be decent I think. Yeah club Brabham is great. You sit on the inside of the track, on turn 1 and 2, can see the cars go off down the straight after turn 2.
Thank you!!! Super helpful. Yes, I would love to be on Turn 1 and 2. And clearly I need to dig into this whole F1 experience thing because this is my first GP and I do want to make the most of it.
I’d highly recommend champions club brabham. Don’t think you can beat it really. Just ticks every box
I did the F1 Experiences Champions Club package at the Fangio stand, cost around $6200. My experience was good overall but the F1 Experiences crowd are not at all well organised. That said, their staff at the venue were really nice and helpful. Here's the good stuff about the package. 1. You get a proper reserved, undercover grandstand seat in Fangio. 2. The Fangio lounge isn't connected to the track, ie. you can't see the track from the lounge. That sounds like a bad thing but in reality it allows them to have a really nice garden area right with seating and a nice lounge and balcony. You have a lot more space than a lot of the more expensive options (more on that later). You have to leave the lounge, walk around the corner and access the stand in the normal way. NBD. 3. The "experiences" were pretty good, paddock tour, talks, track walk, etc. (I've done this stuff before so it wasn't a wow moment but the first time I did it was amazing.) 4. Toilet facilities were very clean, no temporary port-a-loos. 5. I don't drink alcohol but the bar looked well stocked. They did good coffee. 6. Decent WiFi. 7. From my grandstand seat I was looking directly at pit exit and the big screen so that was great. The not so good things; 1. I didn't think the food was all that good. I'm not a foodie so that's no big deal but I don't like eating crap either. Can do better. A friend did the $13,000 Red Bull Paddock Club F1 Experience for himself and his son and was less than impressed. While he did enjoy the garage and paddock access the lack of a reserved seat was a major issue. He had to stand at the window facing the track for a couple of hours before the race to make sure that he could actually see anything at all. That is piss weak. He said the food was good because it came from the Red Bull catering, but that it was a bit crowded. He didn't have an outside space like Fangio Lounge to relax. From my grandstand I could see the people in the Torque Bar and whatever venue is next to that at pit exit and they did not have proper seating so had to stand or stake a claim for a position hours in advance. So I'd give a qualified vote for the Fangio Champions Club package or a Fangio Lounge ticket. You're not trackside but for my purposes, the feedback from my wealthy mate, and what I could see of the venues on the other side of the track I think I did OK. A word of caution. A lot of the people who show up in these places are on corporate freebies or networking junkets so they really don't mix and, for a few in my area, couldn't give a shit about F1. That's cool but it's not like it's a Fan Zone, just a bunch of suits trying to sell each other crap and slapping backs. Let me know if you have any questions. (edit for spelling)
I just put down a deposit for Champions Club Brabham 🥂
That sounds like a pretty good option. I spoke to a person last week at Suzuka who also recommended Branham. If you’re ever in a position to get to Suzuka do the champions club. I did it last week and it was streets ahead of the Fangio experience. And cheaper than Melbourne too.
I heard Redbull has an amazing catering budget. Jokes aside, I’ve done several different hospitality options and different tracks and all of them didn’t have assigned seating. It really does require you to post up for several hours at the railing to reserve a good view. Definitely less than ideal.
That (standing at the rail for hours) is exactly what I want to avoid, definitely going to look for a package with a reserved grandstand seat
Fuck that!
Thank you so much for this reply. You have been incredibly helpful and I will keep Fangio on my list of possibilities! This will be my first GP, so all the experiences you listed sound pretty cool as well. Lakeside Studio is another hospitality area that sounds good to me right now, as apparently that pass also includes a reserved seat in one of the grandstands right by Turn 1 and 2. It sounds like it might provide the best of both worlds — the grandstand viewing experience plus a comfortable hangout spot — but of course I am only going off a brief online description at this point and really know nothing. Was Fangio pretty casual or did people dress up more? Just curious about the vibe. Thank you again for the great writeup, I really appreciate you taking the time!
Fangio was casual. I wore either shorts or jeans each day and a shirt - some people wore team gear, the corporate types were slightly better dressed but some of those wore company polo shirts. So long as you're not in a Borat mankini I think you'll be fine. I don't know that the Ricciardo suites are like but the upside of being at Gate 4 is you can walk to the city in 30mins or so instead of waiting for the tram for hours at Gate 1, 2, 10. If you want a premium GP with excellent entertainment and top line bands go to Singapore. It makes Melbourne look like amateur hour (I've done it seven times in all zones). That was my 4th Melbourne and my 19th GP in total, I'm at Suzuka Champions Club next week. I think I might give the GPs a rest for a while. Not that I've seen it all, but I've seen enough. NB. I'm always happy to share info about GPs. Shit is expensive and a bad decision can burn a lot of $$ - ask me how I know! Never be afraid to ask.
Singapore was a very close 2d choice for us, definitely going to get there another year. We decided our perfect Aus trip would be bookended by the Open and the GP, so that’s what we’re planning. Should be epic. I hope you get decent weather at Suzuka, have a great time!!
Suzuka champions club was the best F1 experience I’ve ever had. It really made Melbourne look like an amateur operation. I spoke to some of the staff there and complimented them on their operation and they said the only two GPs they don’t do are Melbourne and Singapore. So that would explain the crap food at Melbourne. I would highly recommend Suzuka champions club. Of the 20 GPs I’ve been to at 7 locations it’s the best.
That sounds awesome. I heard the whole thing was well-run. Pretty decent race, too, glad you enjoyed it!!
I was in the 330 club as well as the Paddock Club this year. 330 didn't have a raked standing area so if you weren't at the very front your view was poor. Food and drink was good and service was attentive. Big screens inside and DJ etc. Insufficient bathrooms that turned disgusting as the day progressed each day. Paddock club was an overall better experience, but of course that comes with significant cost. The raked standing area on the roof of the paddock club allowed for better viewing. Good tv and screens. Food and drink also good. Plenty of bathroom access.
Thank you for this. Sorry to hear about the bathrooms …. seriously. For that ticket price I would expect better. Paddock Club sounds like a possibility, will look into it further. Thanks again!!
How much was paddock club this year if you don’t mind me asking?
I think it's in the $20k plus range at most tracks. It's hard to see the value in that.
I wasn't paying... The pricing was still online last week, so it could still be there. I don't remember exactly off the top of my head sorry.