Driving in the tyre tracks of legends

I'm not normally a superstitious person.

But there is something about the number 111 that makes many, including myself, uneasy.

In the game of cricket it is widely recognised as bad luck, and the sooner an individual or team can get off that score, so much the better.

So, when I stared down the long straight at the Circuit de Cataluyna on the outskirts of Barcelona and spotted the giant electronic clock displaying the time as 11.15 I was reminded of this bad omen.

Track driving makes me nervous at the best of times, and this time round was certainly no different. With a cold autumn wind blowing, the weak sun was battling to push the temperature in to double digits.

So, the moment arrives. My hands feel slightly clammy, the shirt beginning to stick to my back as I uncomfortably wait for the all-clear from the track marshall so I can begin my laps around this legendary Formula 1 race track.

Amy Winehouse provides a bit of distraction as KISS FM, a Barcelona radio station, pays tribute to the late soul singer.

While a large group of Korean motoring journalists incessantly click away with their cameras, a Business Day MotorNews journalist casually strolls about the pit area - much like his childhood hero Ayrton Senna used to do - looking the part with his crisp white shirt, designer jeans and Levi's sunglasses.

Me? I'm just getting more nervous by the minute. Not even humming away to Rehab helps settle the nerves.

One of the BMW pit ladies offers me a Red Bull. I politely decline, worried I might throw up as soon as my 320d hits that first right-hand corner.

The clock shows 11.20! The dreaded 111 has passed. It's time to rumble! Looking up into the empty, huge grandstands, I find it hard to imagine what it must be like with more than 100000 fans urging on their favourite team.

Today it is but an empty shell, but you can't help but think about the greats who have raced here. Schumacher, Mansell, Vettel - they've all tasted sweet success here, stood on the podium and savoured the dream.

Two practice laps behind the pace car enables you to get a feel of the layout. "Brake when you see two cones and use the others to guide you through the corners," is about all the advice I can recall from the induction.

If there is one thing I've learnt about track driving over the years is respect the track and drive within your capabilities.

Ignore either of those rules and it will kick you where it hurts most, quicker than you can say: "Oh shit!"

For five laps I do a quickstep between the brake and accelerator as I push the car into the corners and soak up the thrill of slamming that right pedal to the floor as a straight opens up in front.

The opportunity to experience the thrill of driving on the track used for the Spanish Grand Prix will be something I won't forget.

Fast Facts:

BUILT: 1991

LENGTH: 4.655km

TURNS: 16

LAP RECORD: 1:21.670 (Kimi Räikkönen)

CAPACITY: 107000