Picture this….pristine water lining new ample roads, a track that passes through a hotel wing, a marina with magnifiscent yachts surrounding a most beautiful stylish racetrack. Personally I had never been into cars, but I have to say, that attending the last race of the Formula 1 in Abu Dhabi was a world class experience! Upon arrival, we were greeted with bottles of free water, free earplugs and smiling faces from so many different countries. A sense of camaraderie filled the air. The weather was hot but bearable and on the night of the actual final race, it was actually quite pleasant! A cool breeze flowed, and ice cream was available everywhere! There were fans from all over the world… I met Bristish, Australians, Spaniards, Argentine, Colombian, Venezuelan, USA American, German, French, Italian and of course Middle Eastern. Once again, the world felt as One, smaller than ever for me before. The event was very well organized and everyone seemed to be having fun. We parked easily, and travelled smoothly throughout the day anywhere we went… with the other 150,000 people present…it was quite remarkable. You never felt cluttered or uncomfortable with your surroundings.
Upon our arrival the first day, when we heard the loud buzzling of the car engines on the racetrack, an instant adrenaline rush flowed through our brain, heart and veins. It is inevitable to feel very excited even if racing or cars is not your thing. When I first saw them, they appeared to me as beautiful toys and to think that a driver was actually sitting inside was hard to fathom. The speed was unbelievable!
Ferrari did not take the top positions but they raced very nicely and their cars magnificent…these vehicles are truly a work of art! The highly skilled drivers of the Formula1 race are very inspiring. I had never seen anything like this “live”. I wasn’t well versed on the racing and the teams, their history and the expectations for results this year, but I am certainly more interested now and would like to see it again in the future. It was a great experience!
The evening closed with an Aerosmith concert, the air was very festive, the moon so full and beautiful, the acoustics phenomenal and for the first time in my life I stood within 5ft. from Steve Tyler….as he sang “Dream On” I simply felt “on track” …. I dream of a world were we are all citizens of it together and for this one night again, I live within this dream….may it one day be our global reality. As for the Formula 1 being truly all that it is made out to be…. I have to say that it was way beyond expectations…the answer? A definite YES.
Blessings!