Formula 1 and Super Cup – An insider’s view

Last week, over 100,000 people descended onto Barcelona for the annual speed fest known as F1 Racing. The line-up of the best drivers in the world came to pit their wits and skills on the famous Montmelo track over three days. As with every year there were some surprises, prolonged flashes of absolute brilliance and some unexpected moments that will be remembered forever.

I must first start by admitting that I was a rather ambivalent fan of F1 and Super Cup racing. The thought of sitting in the searing heat watching men in fast cars whizzing around a track for the pleasure of the baying crowds was lost on me. That is until last week. We organised hospitality services for a group of 120 Danish enthusiasts and as part of the package we were granted access to the behind the scenes action of the exciting Porsche Super Cup racing team.

We met the parents of Mikkel Pedersen a Danish rising star in the Porsche team. This “meet and greet” was the highlight of the visit and the beginning of my love affair with the sport.

We often hear that behind every great athlete, there is a trail of broken hearts and altruistic sacrifices that have been made to simply put them in the class to be considered great. This is exactly what I witnessed last week. Bettina told me stories of how her and her husband are a very down to earth family and had no idea that their son would be so successful. “He started off driving Karts at the age of 8 and just kept winning” she said. Today he is one of the top drivers in Denmark and is hoping to one day be on roster for Porsche testing.

Super Car Driving is not like football where if you are good you may be scouted and be paid to join an academy. In this motorsport, every driver pays his way literally to the top. For sure driving skill is a prerequisite but so is training and drive time, which equals money.

At over 3000€ for a set of tyres it’s little wonder why Mikkel’s parents also rely on enthusiastic sponsors to support his development. Money is no substitute for talent and Mikkel is undoubtedly a huge talent in his sport.

Not only did we get to meet the family of this exciting driver but we got a personalised full tour of the Super Car Porsche team Paddock.

Today, I am a fan of these hulking chunks of carbon fibre hurtling round the track, but not just because of the impressive speeds and the skills needed to maintain them, but because I was also allowed to see and appreciate the human element to this sport.

Thanks to Bettina Pedersen and family, we wish you and your son all the very best for 2018!

If you would like some more information on our various F1 and or other driving experiences contact us directly info@lifestyledmc.com  or call +34 93 270 20 48