Once in a lifetime

 

Today, on the train home from work, I received some rather shocking but fantastic news. Checking my e-mails on my iPhone, I find one from Puma Motorsport. Some time ago now, I entered a fan report competition being run by said company, simply asking why you think you should get the chance to go behind the scenes at a GP of your choice with a PUMA backed F1 team. After submitting my entry, all that was left to do was wait.

Last month I got a message through on Twitter from Tom McLoughin, head of Edelman PR who work with PUMA on promoting their products. He wanted to talk to me about the website itself and what my opinions on it were and what I thought would be good ideas to attract more visitors. For a while I had my hopes up that I was in with a chance, but after other things in my life, such as a new job, taking priority, it eventually slipped out of my mind

But then, this evening as I casually opened my inbox, I found an e-mail titled “Puma Fan Report / Congratulations You Have Won”. Upon reading the full thing, I sat there, mouth open in complete and utter shock. I simply could not believe it. I was now lucky enough to get the chance to go behind the scenes with an F1 team at what will surely be the last British GP at Silverstone, essentially becoming one of those people who say “I was there when…”

So yes, it is confirmed – next weekend, I shall be at Silverstone on the Saturday and Sunday for the 61st and last British GP at the circuit, courtesy of Puma Motorsport and one of the 5 teams supplied by Puma – either Ferrari, Red Bull, BMW, Renault or Toro Rosso. I’ll get to meet the drivers and technicians as well as receive a tour of the pit garages of the team I’m put with. That’s all I know at the moment, but after sending a response e-mail confirming my availability and also giving them my number to contact me on, I should get a call from them sometime very soon. I did ask for tomorrow (June 11th) but we’ll see.

Oh and just for the record, this isn’t a post to brag at all, that’s not the intention. But it has started to sink in and now I’m just looking forward to it! This comes a handful of weeks before I’m back at Silverstone again for the World Series by Renault, so this means two free trips to big race events! Yep, you guys probably all hate me right now!