On a beautiful Saturday morning, four men slipped their helmets on and stepped onto the Circuit de Catalunya racetrack at Montmeló. Covered from head to toe in bright, fire suits, they adjusted their gloves and slid into their automobiles. The mechanics helped them strap in and attach the steering wheels. The gas tank was opened, primer set and ignition started. Four engines, each a hundred and thirty-five horsepower Renault F2N, sputtered and growled, resonating literally in the breast bone. As the pace car accelerated and disappeared around a curve, it was followed in sequence by the four drivers.

One of the mechanics, Albert Esquerda, stepped back from the track and smiled from under his sunglasses. “The one thing these people all have in common is they have gasoline in their blood.”

Despite the world-class track and professional-level equipment, the drivers themselves were not professionals. Ranging in age from their early-20’s to mid-60’s, they represented half the participants in a Formula Renault debut course conducted by RACC Automobile Club. They and four others in their group had just finished a short class in theory, in which they learned the basics of the vehicle and what to do if it goes off track or spins around.

“There are people who come that know how to drive, people who don’t. Mostly, they’re people who want to feel what it’s like to drive in a formula car. They’ll do four laps and we’ll note which drivers can handle the car best,” said Esquerda. “Then we’ll give them a little more instruction and do four more laps, this time with the best driver in pole position and the slowest going last. After that, the next group of four will get their turn. From start to finish, they’ll be here a little over two hours, with about 20 minutes of actual driving.”

The cars are open-wheeler, Formula Renault vehicles, the kind that competitive drivers cut their chops on before moving on to Formula Three and beyond. They’re capable of going from zero to 160 km/h in 4.85 seconds and braking to a full stop from 200 km/h in 4.6 seconds. Weighing only 455 kilos with a height of less than a metre, these vehicles can really fly. “It takes a curve very fast,” said Esquerda. “Such a beautiful feeling, the way it holds a curve. Nothing at all like a tourist sports car that you take on the highway.”

Oriol Pedrola, a commercial vendor whose friends gave him the course as a gift, was pacing back and forth beside the track. He shook his head, flushed with excitement. “It’s an incredible sensation. It gives you a real adrenaline rush.”

Beyond the debut class, there is also a superior class which lasts the whole day. Drivers begin with a class in theory, then do various laps together and alone, followed by more instruction. “In a superior class we make note of more detailed observations. We tell them, ‘You have to brake faster or slower, sooner or later, you have to start in this gear not in the other.’ We write down everything perfectly so that each driver can learn the maximum.”

And for those who desire even more thrills and with more of a disposable income, RACC also offers a Formula I class beginning at 2700 € + IVA, which also lasts the whole day.

Cost:
Debut: 251 €
Superior: 636 €
More on weekends and holidays. 50 % discount for RACC members.

More Info:
https://www.circuitcat.com/en/

How to get there:
Autopista Barcelona-Montmeló/C-33
Renfe to Montmeló, taxi to track.