A garbage man, as necessary a job for society as it is, is not something that most people aspire to. To be an astronaut, it’s best to be born in Florida and hope that the NASA company doctor doesn’t dig up some sort of allergy on you that prohibits you from ever flying anywhere. And it was already a bit late to start a career as an F1 driver even back in kindergarten, you need talent and it costs money. A lot of money.

They say you need around $100 million to make it through all the lower formula series to the queen of motorsport. And you’re not even guaranteed to succeed in Formula 1 or get paid anything for it. That’s right, not all F1 drivers get paid for their services. Some have to keep attracting sponsors or use their own capital.

In short, you might as well just forget about that dream, although perhaps every car lover kind of secretly hopes that they might at least get to ride in an F1 someday. And you know what? That’s not impossible at all.

With the boutique experiential agency Ricard & Bonette, you can become a Formula 1 driver at virtually any time. No, they won’t be setting you up with a glittering career, but they’ll give you a taste of what it’s like to drive the best thing possible on this planet for a day. I told you this childhood dream of yours could come true.

“You can feel how close it’s getting right when you put on the suit and helmet.”

How does it all work? Quite simply. You take a look at the calendar of events, choose the date that suits you and the race circuit where you would like to have your F1 set up, pay and ride, fly is more like it. And you won’t be completely alone. You will be accompanied by a group of other like-minded enthusiasts and the entire Ricard & Bonette team, who will provide you with complete comfort and a lot of unforgettable experiences.

Driving in a Formula 1 is just the tip of the iceberg and the high point of the whole event. Each trip includes accommodation in a luxury five-star hotel overlooking the city, visits to Michelin-starred restaurants, swimming at private beaches and tours of the city’s top attractions.

Will you discover the best of cosmopolitan Barcelona and take a ride on the Catalunya circuit where Formula 1 history was made? Or will you be heading to Marseille to ride on the Paul Ricard track, the traditional venue for pre-season testing? Or will you set off to the very western edge of Europe to historic Lisbon and tackle the super-modern Algarve circuit?

Thanks to Ricard & Bonette’s exclusive partnership with LRS Formula, which has been providing Formula 1 driving experiences for more than 20 years, that’s all up to you. And along with the destinations and race circuits, you can also choose your favourite F1 car. Will you be getting into a Prost AP04, a Benetton B198, a Jaguar R3 or perhaps a Williams FW33? That is all up for you to decide.

“For one day you will experience what Schumacher, Häkkinen and other heroes of the golden era of F1 did.”

A day at the circuit starts with a behind the scenes tour, including the paddock. As the old saying goes, practice makes perfect, so we need to start with the theoretical preparation and a briefing. You’ll learn everything from proper driving techniques to the rules of the circuit and safety regulations, all under the supervision of experienced instructors and race drivers.

But first you have to try on and wear a flame-resistant suit and a helmet with the HANS system. You’ll be so close at that point and your heart will be racing at twelve thousand beats per minute! And just like the professional F1 drivers, you’ll go through a “crash course” from the lower formula series before taking your seat in the queen of motorsport.

A fleet of Formula Renault 2.0 cars is used for training. But don’t be fooled by the two-litre four-cylinder engine and the power output of “only” just over 200 hp. This is some serious racing gear and a machine that will make your head spin! Once you get inside, you’ll feel claustrophobic, and as soon as you get over that and hit the track, this infernal contraption will knock you out of your boots!

You will have two 15-minute stints, after which the instructors will analyse your driving and give you pointers on what you can improve. Most importantly, they’ll give you some more valuable advice before you get into the machine you’ve been waiting for all your life – a Formula 1 single-seater!

“The piercing sound of an atmospheric V8 screaming at 12,000 rpm rumbles through the earplugs!”

After lunch and the briefing that follows, the moment has finally come. You’ll be sucked inside and experience exactly what Schumacher, Häkkinen and other heroes of Formula 1’s most famous era did. The technicians will start the 3.5 V8 Cosworth engine right behind your back, only to have the whole carbon coffin on wheels shake horribly and scare you so bad that you’ll be begging for it to be over!

You head down the pit lane towards the entrance to the circuit and then it’s all up to you. You can feel 650 horsepower under your right foot and the piercing sound of the atmospheric V8 screaming through your earplugs at 12,000 rpm! You take the first turn and you’ll be amazed at how great this thing can keep its grip on the track! And regret that you’ve been slacking off at the gym for the last year.

All this awaits you for six full rounds. You’re telling yourself you want more? Halfway through, you’ll regret that you went a bit overboard at lunch and that you even climbed into the cockpit… After six laps, you’ll be as exhausted as if you’d been pulled out of a wringer! It’s not for nothing that Formula 1 drivers are said to be the best athletes in the world. You have to be pretty fit to drive a Formula 1 car. Do you dare to hold it properly in a corner and get squeezed into the seat with 5 G force?

And that’s it, you have just lived out your childhood dream! The dream of becoming a Formula 1 driver.