Formula One loves Europe.
Sure, we love (nearly) all the places we visit. And being able to spend one's life gadding about the planet, collecting airmiles while eating all manner of delicious food in its county of origin is a real privilege.
As a confirmed Japanophile, I love being able to visit my favourite country on an annual basis. But all of the flyaways are special in their own way, presenting opportunities to fall in love with countries as varied as Singapore and Brazil.
Still, Formula One loves Europe. It's the traditional heartland of our sport, and home to the majority of the calendar's classic - evocative, emotive - circuits. It's also the beginning of the F1 party season, as the teams all vie to get the most bang for buck out of their motorhomes.
With only two days of the European season under our belts, the paddock has already played host to five different parties for the media.
Thursday evening saw Ferrari ring in the summer with a cocktail party in their motorhome. Guests were treated to the best Rioja I've had all year (mental note - track down the name of that bottle!), more Iberico ham than one could comfortably eat in a lifetime, and all manner of traditional Catalan snacks.
Friday night was when the partying kicked up a notch - with a choice of four different events, the committed drinkers could be found flitting from motorhome to motorhome, doing what we like to call networking.
The smart move was to start at Sauber, where sponsors Jose Cuervo were mixing tequila cocktails. Then on to Lotus, who have continued Renault's tradition of a Friday evening petit apero for the press corps.
Red Bull were celebrating their partnership with Japanese sake masters Joraku by throwing a sushi and sake party that included liberal doses of a vintage sake that retails at mind-blowing 600 euros a bottle, although I was partial to the (slightly) more affordable plum sake, a snip at a mere 60e. [insert eye roll here]
But the sake was delicious, and guests were given bottles to take home, along with traditional wooden sake cups with Red Bull branding. Equally delicious was the sushi, although whoever thought it was a good idea to serve soy sauce in egg cups didn't take the size of the maki rolls into account...
Finally we headed upstairs to the Paddock Club, where title sponsors Santander were throwing a media dinner that included a mini magic show starring Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa. I've been told the tricks were great, but as a woman of diminutive stature I could only hear them, not see them. Not the best way to enjoy the show, as I'm sure you can imagine.
Disappointingly, the food wasn't up to the usual Paddock Club standard. Rather than the starched linen and multiple courses we're used to, we were treated to a buffet of the sort of greasy stodge that you usually see around 10pm at an all day wedding. And yes, these diamond shoes are damned pinchy.
But the cocktails more than made up for it, thanks to some top-drawer mojitos and caipirinhas. Well-lubricated, we all toddled off into the warm Spanish night with bags filled with Ferrari swag.
Yeah, Formula One loves Europe. Wouldn't you?
Sure, we love (nearly) all the places we visit. And being able to spend one's life gadding about the planet, collecting airmiles while eating all manner of delicious food in its county of origin is a real privilege.
As a confirmed Japanophile, I love being able to visit my favourite country on an annual basis. But all of the flyaways are special in their own way, presenting opportunities to fall in love with countries as varied as Singapore and Brazil.
Still, Formula One loves Europe. It's the traditional heartland of our sport, and home to the majority of the calendar's classic - evocative, emotive - circuits. It's also the beginning of the F1 party season, as the teams all vie to get the most bang for buck out of their motorhomes.
With only two days of the European season under our belts, the paddock has already played host to five different parties for the media.
Thursday evening saw Ferrari ring in the summer with a cocktail party in their motorhome. Guests were treated to the best Rioja I've had all year (mental note - track down the name of that bottle!), more Iberico ham than one could comfortably eat in a lifetime, and all manner of traditional Catalan snacks.
Friday night was when the partying kicked up a notch - with a choice of four different events, the committed drinkers could be found flitting from motorhome to motorhome, doing what we like to call networking.
The smart move was to start at Sauber, where sponsors Jose Cuervo were mixing tequila cocktails. Then on to Lotus, who have continued Renault's tradition of a Friday evening petit apero for the press corps.
Red Bull were celebrating their partnership with Japanese sake masters Joraku by throwing a sushi and sake party that included liberal doses of a vintage sake that retails at mind-blowing 600 euros a bottle, although I was partial to the (slightly) more affordable plum sake, a snip at a mere 60e. [insert eye roll here]
But the sake was delicious, and guests were given bottles to take home, along with traditional wooden sake cups with Red Bull branding. Equally delicious was the sushi, although whoever thought it was a good idea to serve soy sauce in egg cups didn't take the size of the maki rolls into account...
Finally we headed upstairs to the Paddock Club, where title sponsors Santander were throwing a media dinner that included a mini magic show starring Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa. I've been told the tricks were great, but as a woman of diminutive stature I could only hear them, not see them. Not the best way to enjoy the show, as I'm sure you can imagine.
Disappointingly, the food wasn't up to the usual Paddock Club standard. Rather than the starched linen and multiple courses we're used to, we were treated to a buffet of the sort of greasy stodge that you usually see around 10pm at an all day wedding. And yes, these diamond shoes are damned pinchy.
But the cocktails more than made up for it, thanks to some top-drawer mojitos and caipirinhas. Well-lubricated, we all toddled off into the warm Spanish night with bags filled with Ferrari swag.
Yeah, Formula One loves Europe. Wouldn't you?
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