Actually, I wanted to take a little time out from MotoGP, put my feet up and relax. Just enjoy my vacation in Tuscany. In Tuscany? Wait, wasn’t that where the Italian GP was? Yes, it was. To be exact, an hour and a half away from where I was staying. So what can I say. The tickets for the race Sunday were bought spontaneously on Saturday and then it was off to Mugello early in the morning on Sunday. It would have been a missed opportunity not to watch the races live on site.
So on Sunday morning we went to Mugello not without making a little stop at a supermarket to pick up some food for the day. Because my experience from the San Marino GP still sat deep and there the catering at the grandstand was unfortunately not very good. Likewise, I left very early, as I expected a small to medium traffic chaos with a long search for parking. All this was based only on my experience of San Marino and I was surprised. The traffic chaos didn’t happen, the search for a parking place was over very quickly and the best: the catering at the race track was varied and plentiful. But let’s briefly consider the individual points.
Parking
As at other race tracks, there are official parking tickets, which you can buy in advance. In my opinion, you don’t really need them. Because around the whole race track in Mugello there are parking possibilities. Many private people open their gardens, properties or fields, where you can stand for a fee. In the end, I stood on a soccer field of a local club for 15 euros. From the parking lot it was then another 20 minutes walk. Which was absolutely fine. Small tip: It is worthwhile in advance in any case times to look at the race track on Google and see where you sit. So you can drive specifically to the track, because not all grandstands are always signposted. This also makes the search for a parking space easier and you do not have to search or walk unnecessarily long.
Catering
As already indicated, I had packed food with me, because I had concerns, how the selection will be. Arrived at the track, I was then very positively surprised. Unlike in San Marino, you can move freely around the course. In San Marino, you were restricted to your grandstand and the small area behind it. In Mugello, there was more free space, which of course also increased the selection and range of food and drinks. From the usual paninis to pizza and ice cream to grilled food, there really was everything. Even fresh fruit. So there was something for everyone and you don’t have to take anything compulsory food with you. Also all the usual drinks including espresso and cappuccino.
Grandstand
As I said, I bought the tickets spontaneously the day before. My grandstand was the “Materassi 2”, which was the cheapest grandstand and also the grandstand of KTM and Ducati. I have to say I was very excited about how much of the track I could see. You had a very good overview of the entire track and could see everything very well. I don’t have to mention that there was of course also a video wall in front of the grandstand, so you really couldn’t miss anything. My seat was at the top, on the one hand to see everything and on the other hand to be able to put up an umbrella as sun protection if necessary. I could disregard the last reason, because it was overcast and windy. Overall, the grandstand is highly recommended. But if you want a bit more adventure, take a standing room ticket. With the ticket “Prato Night & Day” you can spend the night on the race track and be woken up by the sound of the engine in the morning. A unique experience that is not offered at every racetrack. It also made the impression that you could pitch your tent anywhere there were green spaces – and there are a lot of green spaces, from which you also have a good view of the track.
Atmosphere
Because of the tents it had a touch of festival and because of the freedom of movement Mugello was comparable to the Sachsenring. Unfortunately, and this clouded the overall impression somewhat, there were few spectators. Perhaps it was because we are writing the first year after the retirement of Valentino Rossi. But maybe it was also due to the constantly rising ticket prices at Mugello. I’ll be honest, I had to swallow for a moment when I saw the price for the one day in the stands. 170 euros for one day of fun is already a lot and I can understand that people save this money and watch the race on TV. You could see the lack of spectators everywhere – whether in the grandstands or in the standing room. It was noticeable that otherwise there is more going on. Despite this, however, the atmosphere was good.
Overall, the spontaneous trip to Mugello was worth it. With more spectators and lower ticket costs, it is really highly recommended. I hope that ticket prices will go down again, so that more spectators can come again. Otherwise it would be a pity if such a great track is no longer affordable for all spectators. If you ever make the trip to Mugello, then add a vacation in Tuscany. Then it’s worth it twice.
Your Miss MotoGP