Yacht charter destinations for the F1 Grand Prix

Yacht charter destinations for the F1 Grand Prix

 If you’re keen to combine your yacht charter experience with a high-profile automotive event, there is no shortage of opportunities. The Monte Carlo Rally in late January, Mallorca’s Classic Car Rally in mid-March and the Monaco Historic Grand Prix in early May all enable you to immerse yourself in the chic nostalgia of our motoring heritage and they all take place in established hubs of the international yachting scene. But if you’ve set your sights on the high-octane glamour of the Formula 1 race circuit, there’s a handful of events on the F1 Calendar that absolutely demand a place on your shortlist…

Barcelona F1 Grand Prix: 8-10 May 2020

Held at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, the Barcelona Grand Prix is one of the oldest in the world.  Having started its life simply as a production car race, it celebrated its centenary in 2013 and now remains a permanent fixture in the Formula One World Championship. Nowadays the event is staged at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, in a small town called Montmelo, approximately 12 miles (20km) North East of Barcelona city centre. If you are visiting by yacht there are a few notable marinas in Barcelona, where you can stop, kick back and enjoy the amazing culture and vibrant nightlife of this beautiful city.  Port Vell, Port Forum, and the Real Club Nautico de Barcelona offer some of best facilities for superyachts and megayachts over 40m.

Monaco F1 Grand Prix: 21-24 May 2020

While lots of racing pundits like to criticise the Monaco F1 Grand Prix for the awkwardness of overtaking, it remains the world’s most iconic motor racing street circuit and an incomparably prestigious event for yacht charter. The track takes in the famous harbourside and Casino Square, with long turn-intensive runs, wrapping around two sides of Monaco’s famous marina. The harbour itself hosts some of the world’s largest and most spectacular yachts and, with many of them available for charter, witnessing the four-day F1 festival from the deck of a yacht is a very real possibility. And when the racing stops, the carnival keeps going. Whether up in the elegant Old Town or down among the backstreets of the Port Quarter, this is a town full of first class eating, drinking and party opportunities, made all the more intoxicating by their easy integration with palaces, boutiques and beautiful people.

French F1 Grand Prix, Le Castellet: 25-28 June 2020

The French Grand Prix is held just a couple of miles inland from Bandol on the western fringes of the Cote d’Azur, midway between Marseille and Hyères. With its glorious food, its thriving market culture, its irrepressible glamour, its artistic heritage, its medieval villages and the natural loveliness of herb-scented hillsides plunging into azure Mediterranean waters, its location alone is enough to recommend it as the venue for a charter holiday. But in June each year, when Formula 1 comes to town, the appeal of this region becomes even greater. If you want to join the throng, the charter opportunities, which are always plentiful on the Cote d’Azur, become even more so once you bring Marseille into play. But given the region’s fame and the Grand Prix’s peak-season timing, booking early is recommended.

Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix: 26-29 November 2020

Positioned just a stone’s throw from the airport, the Abu Dhabi F1 circuit was purpose-built around Yas Marina as part of the $1 billion investment that was lavished on the redevelopment of Yas Island as a recreational Mecca. Naturally then, the charter scene at the F1 event is extremely well orchestrated. You can either charter a yacht of your own or buy a ticket to watch all the action from a third-party vessel. In either case, what that buys you is an intimate and memorable experience of the final event in the F1 season, with a glittering floodlit night race and a low-level track that wraps itself tightly around the marina berths. You also get direct access to the area’s buzzing onsite nightlife, which comprises a dozen bars and clubs in the marina alone.

If you’re considering chartering for the F1 Grand Prix in 2020, contact us now at info@princessyachtcharter.com or call +44 (0) 207 499 5050.