Almost every Formula One fan dreams of going to Monaco one day. Well Claire Jane Earley was lucky enough to do just that – and not just once either! She shared with us her experience at the 2013 F1 Monaco Grand Prix weekend and I’ll tell you now, we are all super envious! This lady clearly had a weekend to remember – pit pass and all! She’s also sent us a whole gallery of photos to share with you which you can find here.

Follow Claire on Twitter: @ClaireEarleyF1

Here is Claire’s post about her Monaco F1 GP weekend. Have you been to a Monaco GP or do you still dream of going? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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I have always loved Formula One, right from the get-go. So when the chance came to travel to the Monaco GP six years ago, I jumped at it. And I’ve been jumping at it ever since.

As the intro suggests, this recent trip to Monaco was my sixth. I know that some of you will be saying that I’m spoilt, but consider that I have friends there, so I invariably stay for free, and all I have to cover are my flights. I also work there (on a yacht most recently, which is an awful lot harder than it sounds), so it’s not all fun and games 😉

There is something intrinsically special about Monte Carlo. Something that stems from the tiny country being packed to capacity for a week, as the jet set fly in and celebrate the Grand Prix in style. It is impossible not to be stylish in Monaco. You can’t help yourself. Everywhere you turn beautiful people, beautiful cars, beautiful yachts, and beautiful scenery surround you. You naturally up your game. It’s also impossible to take in Monaco completely during Grand Prix week, which is why I keep having to go back 😉

Now let’s be honest, no matter how much of an F1 fan you consider yourself to be, you don’t go to Monaco for the race. The race is almost an afterthought. There are so many other things going on (parties, parties and more parties) that when Sunday finally rolls round you can barely keep your sunglasses on straight. Luckily, Monaco always turns out to be a bit of a procession race unfortunately; and although there was some drama this year, it really did very little to add to the race itself, so you didn’t have to concentrate too much.

Thursday passed in a bit of a blur for me. I was lucky enough to be stationed on the Sylvia M yacht so I spent the whole day chilling on the top deck watching Free Practice with a bunch of really cool Aussies on their first trip to the GP. Being pretty comfortable with Monaco I showed them around when the sessions were over and partied a little with them at the legendary Rascasse that night. Rascasse is something of a party central, with there being around ten different bars and nightclubs you can go to along that whole strip between Swimming Pool and Rascasse.

That is the one thing most people forget about Monaco, but all the parties happen on the track. It’s quite surreal to watch the cars race round all day, and then spend all night partying on corners like Rascasse and Swimming Pool. You can literally sit in the grandstands opposite where you were partying the night before. Nowhere else in the world can offer this kind of opportunity, and every year without fail, I take the customary “Me on the start line” photo!

This year I was fortunate enough to have a pit pass for the Friday, something I’ve never done before, so I was super excited! Sadly Fernando Alonso wasn’t waiting at the gate to greet me, but I did get the signatures of Giedo Van Der Garde, Max Chilton and Jules Bianchi! I also watched Force India practice their pit stops numerous times (and developed my new life ambition to be the person who sits in the car as it gets pushed in for tyre change practice), and watched the two Mercedes’ undergo FIA testing. It was pretty special for me.

I went out on the Friday night with some friends, and it ended up being a bit of a late one (whoops!), but it did give me the chance to walk home on the Saturday morning, on the empty track, as the sun rose over the port. Amazing. Nothing like having one of the most famous race tracks in the world to yourself.

Later that day I found myself back on the Sylvia M watching some GP2 action and some Porsche Supercup. When you’re on the yacht you don’t actually realise how close you are to the action, but it is right there in front of you! You can almost touch it! For me, that is another reason why Monaco is so special, because you are never more than two meters from the track.

Saturday night I was lucky enough to have access to a party on the Quid Pro Quo yacht where a French musician was giving a private party on the inside deck, and DJ was playing on the upper decks. The food and drinks were free, so needless to say the champagne was flowing (when in France and all that…), and I met some awesome guys from Essex who were extremely entertaining and good fun to hang out with so I had a good time.

Race Day dawned nice and hot after the rain on Saturday, and I was sent off in my tender to the Talila yacht.  You need to catch a tender from Fontvielle to Monaco Port if you’re ever there. The view is like nothing else and it gives you an opportunity to see just how beautiful the place actually is. It truly is something special.

The Talila was moored right in front of where Pastor Maldonado crashed out. The crash itself I didn’t see until all the people on my yacht started sprinting to the trackside. I have seen red flags before in Monaco, but never for a crash like that, and although I am not a Maldonado fan, I am glad that he walked away from it uninjured.  Once all the excitement died down, and Rosberg took the top step, it was time to get back on dry land.

Wandering around the streets after the race I bought some gifts and things for the family, whilst watching how quickly Monaco returns too normal. It takes a month to put all the barricading and stands up for the race, and only two weeks to get it all down again. By the time I left on Tuesday, half of the grandstands were already down, and most of the barricading along the main road was down as well. Each piece of metal is specifically numbered to ensure that set up next year is smooth and efficient.

I love Monaco. I love watching how it changes for the race, and how quickly things go back to normal. Every time I leave to come home I think I leave a small piece of me there, and I can’t wait to go back next year!

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Click here for Claire’s gallery of photos from her Monaco Grand Prix experience.