The surprising ACCESS of a F1 VIP pass...

A big thank you to the Alpine F1 Team!

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Edited by: Kyle Robb
Thumbnail by: @GOBZ_01

[alain]

The experience has change quite a bit. I was once invited by Renault to the South African GP in 93. And I had access to everything but there wasn't a paddock club at the time. I spend 3 days in the pits with the Williams team when Alain Prost and Damon Hill were driving. I was able to walk on the grid before the start of the race. I had free movement in the pit for the entire week end. I remember seeing Ayrton Senna pit, I run to take a pic but he was already leaving. The best part was that I met Frank Williams nurse and we got friendly, He wanted to go out in Johannesburg and I took him to a bar where we were right next to James Hunt and got to laugh at his stories. After the race that Prost won, I was still in the garage and bump into Patrick Head who instead of being upset was more worried that he didn't spill any coffee on me. And at the end of the week end I was invited to dinner with the Wiliams team mechanics. My best F1 week end ever. I never got a chance to do this aqain. But it is burned into my memory.

[PoschSpice]

Shoutout to that mechanic for giving you a shirt. I was an equipment manager for a hockey team and love when the support staff is cool and friendly like that. they're the unsung heros with a thankless job.

[ziavandenberg]

Okay but who else was so happy when Ocon finally noticed him and gave him a fist bump 🥲

[John_Fugazzi]

I think the VIP pass was the one to have. it got you right into the action where all the team members were. What was the Paddock Club but a glorified first class lounge. And I couldn't believe the quality of food you were getting there. Altogether a great time.

[Musiken]

Damn, crazy how much trust they have and how close you can get to the car, the drivers and the garage. You’re like part of the crew just not on duty.

[Faydurr]

That’s so sick! Had no idea the VIP pass allowed that much trust in the fans. You did an incredible job documenting that for us all. Has to be a better experience for a die hard fan rather than more of a posh experience of the paddock club I’m sure. Also love how you’re just hanging out and Gasly just walks in between you two, like you really are just a part of the alpine family.

[cdnshark]

My dad and I would always go to the Indy Car race at Laguna Seca in Monterey. CA growing up in Northern California. One year he won pit passes for the whole weekend and we were walking behind the garages when all of a sudden we open a door and there's Michael Andretti, who was still driving at the time. My dad was wearing an old Montreal GP shirt and Michael started raving about the Canadian GP and how cool a city Montreal is for about 15 minutes! Meanwhile little me started playing tag with some of the kids there and was tagged by a future driver, Marco Andretti. So you're 100% right about the VIP access being misnamed, it should absolutely be called the "family pass" for the access we're granted!

[robfisher]

For those that are wondering... This is the "F1 Garage Experience" and costs between $25, 000-$35, 000. They're also only available on select races.

[taylorharmer]

This was GREAT! I felt like I was there with you. Thank you for not editing this down to a 10 minute video for the algorithms. I especially liked the "raw" scenes where you cut the music and commentary. Where else do you get that? As an added bonus... there was a train (metro) for you to take! Wouldn't be a DownieLive video without a train!!

[rllg]

I would have geeked out! This is so awesome man! I’m so happy you got this experience and even happier that you were able to share it!

[dog]

There's nothing like the first time having this kind of access. I spent a number of years as a media person on a NASCAR series and I can remember standing in the paddock and telling myself how cool it was. Certainly not as prestigious as F1, of course. Great video.

[stuartcudlip]

What an absolute privilege for you, well documented and every credit to Alpine for having an inclusive experience 👍🏻

[roydellago]

Thank you for letting us experience the garage during the race with full sound. That’s what we want to see indeed! Awesome video!

[MattS]

What a fantastic experience! Mike this is such a great video! As a fellow F1 fan I agree with you, what they did for you is far better then a luxury experience. I definitely have a new found respect for the Alpine team and will be cheering for them a bit more now that I have seen how well they treated you! Keep the great videos coming!!

[keith_jones]

For the rest of my fellow US citizens aubergine is eggplant to most of the lower 48. I nearly had to clean my monitor as Mike wasn't trying not to "stand out" while rocking a mullet and an alpaca shirt. Somehow, he carries it off. I wouldn't dare. 😂

[MarkTrombly]

Mike, your videos always make me cry. I love how emotionally honest and vulnerable you are. I was so excited when I saw that you had posted this video on Saturday. I started to watch it, then had to step away. When I got back it was gone and I was so sad. I'm overjoyed that you put it back up again. Thank you so much for sharing your experiences with us.

[qfc]

Dude, Im a huge F1 fan! I hope you had a blast!

[beno]

Spot on assessment. It’s more a backstage pass. AAA amazing experience for you 👌🏼

[ErikLozemanHGL]

What a nice video! You're a regular, good guy. Not over the top like so many others on YouTube. This is enjoyable to watch, and I hope to experience it myself someday too. Best regards from the Netherlands!

[JL]

Insanely jealous, this must have been an amazing experience, being so close to the cars. Really good job documenting everything, this is the first time I've ever seen a VIP pass being documented this way and not with an instagram filter haha