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My first year was 2021 so, while I did go in 2022, I’m probably not as well placed to compare as others.
Campsite (Epinettes) and access to and from was fine h til leaving Sunday. We arrived Tuesday afternoon and got as good a pitch as we could’ve asked for. Generally I accessed the track through Houx/Garage Vert pedestrian entrance and never encountered more than a handful of people in front so all fine.
Getting around it was busy but the only bottlenecks were track access on Friday I felt, other than that I got around no issue. Generally we ate/drank in the ACO parts, either grandstand or La Chapelle. Again we always managed to get a seat and never a queue for the grandstand toilets. La Chapelle needed more toilets, it was much bigger than last year but the changes were good and a nice place to rest.
Viewing areas were very busy, you really needed to get there plenty in advance which ended up being a bit of a chore in the heat.
Saturday night/Sunday morning I got down to Mulsanne no issue, 3 buses waiting at entrée est and got a good spot on the viewing banking. I’d normally head down to Arnage too but reports suggested it was very busy so stayed in my nice spot until sunrise. Bus back to circuit no issues again. Headed up for the finish and found a spot at the end of pit lane near the Alpine hospitality and watched from there, big screen behind to keep updated so wasn’t too bad.
All in all yes it was busy, even the practice sessions and I’d hope the ACO will learn from that for next year, access to the members area’s definitely worth it this year. The additions of fan zones on the campsites was good and facilities on the sites were kept very clean and always hot water in the showers.
For me, whilst it was harder to get a good viewing spot than previous it was worth it to see a fantastic race in the top class. Both my previous visits it’s been a forgone conclusion and you’re looking for excitement in the other classes. Also, even as someone who normally loves the heat, it got a bit too much for me and I’d probably look at grandstand seats next year for a bit of shade. Hotel/air bnb would be an option but I think I’d miss the campsite atmosphere, although maybe not the 2am EDM.
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