Fun & Famous

9 X WHY THIS GRAND PRIX IS ULTRA COOL

Yesterday, at the invitation of our friends from Renault, I went to the town of Spa. No, not to enjoy the famous spring water there, no, I was there to sit and cheer in the stands of the Spa-Francorchamps circuit. And believe me, I was looking forward to that more than to the Dsquared show, just to name one. And here's why.

1. The magic

When you say Formula 1, you say money and glamour. It's nice if you catch a footballer as a woman, but with a Formula 1 driver, you've really hit the jackpot. Those guys sometimes earn 30 million a year just like that. Just look at how wonderful that shopping is. You live in Monaco, fly with private jets from Malaysia to Mexico, spray everything with magnum bottles of champagne, everything, everything, everything oozes glamour and success. Jet once interned in Monaco during the Grand Prix and sold (plastic) glasses of champagne that were only moderately filled for 27.50 per glass. Everyone thought that was the most normal thing in the world. That's it. Glamour.

2. The Spa-Francorchamps circuit

Home game for the Dutch genius Max Verstappen who was born nearby. Moreover, it is a famous circuit with corners that sound like the names of perfumes. Eau Rouge and Rivage, for example.

3. Team Renault

I received an incredibly valuable ticket from Renault. Not for nothing, as they have such a rich history in Formula 1. Did you know they have raced in over 600 Grand Prix races, won the race 168 times, and achieved 12 driver titles? That's what I mean.

4. Geri Halliwell

She has hit the jackpot. She is married to the boss of Max Verstappen Christian Horner, the boss of Red Bull Racing, and she has been made over, guys. What a beautiful woman. I was really excited for the selfie with Geri...

5. The art of driving

Maybe you think; what's so special about it, just pressing the gas in a fast car, but think about what it's like to sit for two hours in a tiny, scorching cockpit in a fireproof suit where you can hardly move. The G-forces on a driver's body are unprecedented. Did you know that Max Verstappen can bring his car from 300 km/h to a standstill in 3 seconds? For that, you need some serious brake discs. Such a carbon brake disc costs 4000 euros each, and you wear out 140 to 240 of them per season.

6. Life and death

Just a little too much gas and you fly off the track. Just a bit of bad luck and your car catches fire. Really, a bullfighting match is nothing compared to this.

7. All with Renault

For all sorts of complicated reasons, it is not officially communicated, and Max Verstappen officially drives a Tag Heuer car, but you know just as well as I do that Tag Heuer makes watches but no engines. And the engine with which he speeds over the circuits is simply from Renault.

And there is more than Max. Renault has its own team again this year. Renault Sport Formula One Team, with British Jolyon Palmer (number 30) and Dane Kevin Magnussen (number 20) in their ultra-cool yellow-black Renault Sport. The chassis contains gold, symbolizing the success that is all going to be achieved. Although that success for Magnussen will have to wait for the next time because he cuddled a bit too intimately with the concrete wall.

8. And we benefit from it too

What’s so nice is that all the gadgets and innovations from Formula 1 are later applied to passenger cars where possible. So I drove in that divine Renault Talisman with the 4 control system (where you can steer all four wheels instead of just the front two, allowing you to finally park smoothly, which we women love) and the EDC automatic. So all that money that is invested in Formula 1 is not only to improve performance but also to make our cars even more comfortable and better.

9. And then that growl

What a wonderful sound. Are there also CDs of that?