With the Classic Racing School FAQ, you will find all the answers to questions you may have about the driving school and the single-seater driving courses in Charade, whether you are a private individual or corporate driving days.
Do I need to have track or high performance driving experience to come to Classic Racing School?
Our racing school is open to everyone regardless of their driving experience. Our instructors adapt to everyone’s level, making sure that everyone can enjoy their time on track and get better with each lap. Our racing school’s driving programs are made so that a driver that has never driven on track can have a unique and fun introduction to track driving, at the same time that an experienced driver that has already been to other racing schools or has track/racing experience can enjoy his time at Classic Racing School. We also ask participants to send us their driving experience when they reserve a seat at our racing school, so we can prepare the groups in advance and make sure our instructors know what type of drivers are in the cars.
Do I need to have a European driver’s license?
Anyone with a valid driver’s license can take part in our racing school, even if your driver’s license is no longer valid (if that’s your case, please call us before making a reservation).
For underaged drivers that have no driving licenses, exceptions can be made from the age of 16 and if the driver has a competition license.
Is there a maximum driver size or height?
Our school single seaters have been slightly modified to allow for drivers up to 195 cm and 110 kg. It also depends on each driver’s morphology – if you’re unsure if you would fit, please call us.
Do I need to pay the full amount when reserving a seat?
You can reserve your seat through our website in two ways:
– You can use your debit or credit card on our website by using our secure payment portal. Using this method, you will have to pay for the full amount up front. You can also pay in three instalments.
– You can also send us a transfer or a cheque of 100% or 50% of the amount, with the remaining balance to be paid up to 10 days before your chosen date.
How does the coaching work at Classic Racing School?
Unlike other racing schools, we don’t use radio coaching – we find that it distracts drivers too much.
Instead, we chose to place instructors throughout the circuit. As you drive past their station, they will register feedback and pass it on to the chief instructor that is placed at the main straight, who can flag you down to give you immediate feedback so you can implement it immediately on your following lap. After you finish your driving session, you will also get a debrief from our instructors, in time for your next driving session.
Is there a pace-car on track?
For the first 5 lap session, you will drive with a pace car on track – a 240 hp Crosslé 9S prototype. It’s not often that the pace car is the fastest car on track!
As you know, the Charade circuit is a former F1 Grand Prix circuit and one of the most challening circuits in Europe to this day, so to get you up to speed quickly, we’ve chosen to run the first session under a pace car that will show you the best lines and braking points. If our racing school pace car sees that you’re keeping up with no troouble, it will up the pace accordingly.
After the first session, you will be left to drive the track without any pace car, going at your own pace and speed. Just be mindfull of the other participants on track with you.
Will I be the only driver on track?
You will be sharing the track with a maximum of eight other student drivers throughout your sessions, so you can all enjoy this iconic track without traffic and our instructors advice without distractions.
Is the track modified to have chicanes?
The Charade circuit will be made available to you in a completely unmodified way with no chicanes on straights. We only leave cones on track to indicate the start of braking zones, turn-in zones and re-acceleration zones.
I’d like to come with a group of friends to your racing school, are there special prices?
We love welcoming groups at Classic Racing School, and can propose group specific pricing starting at 5 people. Please contact us for more information!
What happens if it rains on track?
Depending on how much rain there is, we will adapt our program to the conditions. Our single seaters can be equipped with rain tires so drivers can still have a rewarding on track experience. You will have to adapt your driving inputs to conditions: That means being smooth with your steering, brake and throttle applications, and look to really be as smooth as possible. It doesn’t mean you’ll drive slowly – far from it! You’ll experience a completely different type of driving compared to dry driving, but still a very rewarding one.
Depending on the amount of rain, we will run the sessions with our Crosslé 9S pace car, not to slow you down but to show you the wet line around the Charade circuit, and to give you confidence in these first sessions.
Is there a cancellation insurance?
Classic Racing School offers you the chance to plan your trip with peace of mind, thanks to cancellation insurance provided by our partner assur-travel. This will enable you to be covered in the event of a situation qualified as force majeure that you personally encounter prior to your arrival, preventing you from going to the event (medical or family reasons, flight cancellation, etc.).
Insurance payable on booking page. Special conditions detailed and sent directly by the insurer after the order has been taken. Cancellation” cover takes effect on the day the insurance contract is taken out and expires on the day of your departure for the flying course. Reasons other than force majeure and not justifying an impossibility on your part are excluded.
What happens if I damage the car?
Classic Racing School’s single seaters are not replicas of 60’s Formula Fords, but a reedition model: apart from modifications to improve driver safety and overall reliability, they are still handbuilt in the same original workshop by a skilled team of builders, just like the original 1960’s model. If you damage the car by leaving the track or driver error, we will check over the damage in the pitlane with you and try our best to get you back on track to continue enjoying your day with us. If in the unlikely event that the damage is too severe to continue, we will be forced to stop you from driving for the rest of the day – something that we try our very best to avoid.
In that case, will I lose my insurance deposit?
In the unlikely event you damage the car, our mechanics will check the car to analyse the damage and we will send you the total repair quote and keep that amount from your insurance deposit. To this day, we have never had to keep a client’s full insurance deposit, as we try our best to keep it to as low as possible.
Does Classic Racing School provide driving equipment or do I have to bring my own driving equipment?
We supply drivers with a full Classic Racing School FIA standard fireproof driving equipment: helmet, driving suit, leather boots, gloves, and underwear tops and bottoms. Drivers are more than welcome to bring their driving equipment, as long as it respects FIA standards (motorcycle and open helmets aren’t allowed).
Can I bring someone with me for the day?
For drivers that would like to bring a guest with them, we have available the Accompanying pack, a hospitality pack for your guest: it includes breakfast, lunch and the end of the day aperitif, as well as access to the open bar in our vintage lounge, sharing the experience with you throughout the day. Besides the lounge’s 60’s atmosphere (music, decoration and memorabilia) your guest will also enjoy a tour of the circuit facilities and be chauffered by a team member with a historic 4L to multiple viewing points around the Charade circuit at the same time drivers are on track. The Accompanying pack is for 1 person.
Can I bring a baby?
Drivers can bring a baby however be aware that it will be a noisy environment both in the lounge and on the pitlane (the lounge is directly situated on the pitlane and next to our racing school garages). Classic Racing School is not equipped with a microwave oven to reheat meals and the circuit doesn’t have a space adapted to change a baby’s diapers.
Can I bring animals?
The Charade circuit’s 2021 regulations do not allow for animals to be on the circuit’s premises for safety reasons.
I’d like to keep a souvenir of my day at Classic Racing School, will there be a photographer on track?
We understand the importance of keeping a memory of this special experience, so we include in every driving program GoPro onboard videos of each car. We also have a photographer on hand throughout the day that will take photos of you from the moment you arrive at our lounge to the first time you sit in the car, your every driving session (from multiple points of the track) to the end of the day champagne and diploma hand out. These photos are allowed to be used by you for personal reasons but not for commercial reasons (although we are open to it, just speak to us about it beforehand).
You are also encouraged to take your own photos throughout the day, as well as sharing them on social media!
I’d like to bring my own sports car/classic car – can I drive it on track?
We do not allow for road cars to share the track as our race school single seaters. You will be able to park your car in the pitlane, meaning that our photographer can take beautiful photos of it – right next to our Crosslé Formula Fords!
Have any further questions about our racing school?
If you’d still like to have more information about our racing school programs, please contact us directly via our contact form here – a team member will quickly get back to you!
View our Driving Programs Here
