It took a while, but I was not idle during my vacation. Not only the sun and sea were enjoyed, but also the Grand Prix of San Marino was visited. In advance the Grand Prix does not take place in San Marino, but in Misano Adriatico on the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli. Well in San Marino, the city-state it would be a little bit narrow for a motorcycle race.
Everyone knows the pictures of the Grand Prix when the Rossi fans storm the track on Sunday after the race to cheer their hero. It is amazing how full the grandstands are and how predominant the color yellow is, especially on the “Brutapella I & II”. The passion of the fans for their local Italian heroes is incomparable and very legendary. I thought of all these images when I drove to the track. Here now my experiences to the individual points.
Grandstand
I sat on the “Brutapella II” – For all Rossi fans, you should choose this grandstand. The adoration for Rossi, is hard to put into words. It’s like a religion and Rossi is worshipped as a god. Since the Italians are very emotional, I was also not surprised that prayers were said and tears were also shed by one or the other lady. The way to the tribune went along a high wall until you arrived at your tribune. Then one was controlled and reached the tribune. Unfortunately, only to his tribune. The freedom of movement was limited to the grandstand and the area behind it. Everything else was cordoned off and you felt like an animal in a fence. Near my grandstand there was a stand for Valentino Rossi merchandise and a stand where you could get food. Unfortunately not much more. The variety, which one was used to from other race tracks, like the Sachsenring, one searches here in vain. On Sunday, flags were distributed by the VR46 fan club so that the entire grandstand shone in yellow. A nice action.
Atmosphere
Who knows the Sachsenring, knows that there are two main entrances. Once you have passed the entrance with its controls, you are already in the middle of the action. You can walk around almost the whole track and every now and then you can stop at a stand to eat, look or buy something. In addition to the driver presentation on Saturday, there will be events throughout the weekend where you can see drivers. There is something for everyone. There is no need to mention the Ankerberg, it is legendary. If you want to get a little closer to the drivers and teams, you can buy a paddock ticket/VIP ticket. The price varies from Grand Prix to Grand Prix. At the Sachsenring there is often the chance that you can borrow the VIP ticket for half an hour/hour. This gives you a look behind the scenes without incurring expenses. What is possible at the Sachsenring is impossible in San Marino. The radius of movement is limited to the grandstand. You don’t get a glimpse of the entire track, the atmosphere in the other grandstands, the other stands or the paddock. Except at the end of the race, when the track storm takes place.
Catering /Cleanliness
Unfortunately, the food also left a lot to be desired. It was neither tasty nor affordable. With six euros for a small sandwich with a slice of cheese and grilled vegetables, the pain threshold is reached. Since Saturday was unpleasant in terms of food, food was packed for Sunday. This, by the way, is also what Italian fans do. What was also not so nice were the toilets. They were clean, but the water pressure was very weak. At the end of the race day, only drops came out of the pipe. Also, there were far too few or too small trash cans. As a result, there was garbage everywhere. Almost everyone left his garbage. Without words. In short, it was unfortunately not very nice.
Departure
As mentioned, after the MotoGP race, the track is stormed. I watched the spectacle for a while and then took this opportunity to walk the track myself. So you could finally look around a bit, away from your own grandstand. After looking around, the waiting followed. Because all wanted to start now. It was total traffic chaos. Whoever gets upset about the traffic at the Sachsenring after the race on Sunday should experience the chaos of San Mario. It took me 4½ hours for just 24 kilometers in the end. There was no one on the road to regulate the traffic.
In conclusion, I can say it was an experience. But not one I would like to repeat.
Your Miss MotoGP