Sara (32) and Joe (38), two Luxembourgers who are motorcycle fans, but above all followers of Marc Márquez, won the lottery in mid-July, on the 19th. Their ability: to be the fastest by clicking. The prize comes to them this Saturday, at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, in the form of a privileged stay: they will be able to sleep in a motorhome –the motorhomes that the drivers use to rest on the circuits– together with Marc Márquez inside the paddock. It will be the night before the Catalunya GP race, courtesy of Airbnb and Dorna Sports.
“My boyfriend, Joe, is a big, big fan of Marc Márquez, for 7 or 8 years, and I wanted to give him a birthday present. I found out on forums that Airbnb was running a contest… I said to myself, 'bah, I won't have any luck'…”. But he got Sara, a Luxembourg citizen of Portuguese descent.
He only had to request a reservation for one night in a motorhome for the symbolic price of 93 euros (Marc's number); the first to do it in the whole world would take the stay. Sara took less than a minute to complete the application online when the deadline opened. The Márquez brothers – who share a motorhome – already had neighbors.
They will be a couple dedicated to the cause, so they should not bother them. Before arriving in Montmeló –they have check in at 3:00 p.m.–, Sara and Joe licked their lips at the experience that awaits them: in addition to spending the night with the Márquez in a themed motorhome –with all kinds of details and objects from 1993 –, they will be able to enjoy full board, a VIP package that includes access to the pit-lane to witness the grid, passes to the MotoGP Village, being able to try out a simulator, take a guided tour of the paddock and the boxes, take a tour of foot of the track through the service lanes... and meet their idol in person in a meeting where they can talk and take photos with him.
“We love Marc because he is very nice, as well as being a very good driver and being so spectacular; he looks like a good boy. We really want to shake his hand, talk to him and take pictures of ourselves, ”Sara commented to this newspaper, that she was amazed by the photos they sent her of the motorhome in which she will sleep. "It seems incredible to us, it is crazy, it is unreal, to be close to him and in this environment," said the young fan. “From seeing it on TV to being able to touch it…”
It is an authentic thematic room, almost like sleeping in a house-museum from 1993, as this newspaper was able to verify. In the last of the 10 motorhomes in the paddock, attached to the one shared by the brothers, the one for the Luxembourg guests was a unit that Marc had used and that Airbnb has rented and conditioned for the occasion, as they also did with Barbie's house in Malibu or the Prince of Bel Air in Los Angeles.
To set the Márquez style accommodation, they have borrowed from the 93 museum in Cervera two racing suits, boots and gloves, trophies, four commemorative helmets of their titles, a couple of t-shirts to celebrate the 2013 and 2014 World Cups, the blackboard with the letters of the 2012 World Champion Moto2, a dozen photos of Marc's life, and as a gift, the comic The story of a dream signed by the pilot. Everything to have a maximum immersive experience.
There is no shortage of decorative details such as the ant in the Marc logo and the 93 on the digital alarm clock, nor all the comforts of a high-end accommodation: bathroom with shower in the bedroom, leather sofa, kitchen, fridge (stocked with soft drinks). ), washing machine, air conditioning, flat screen TV… and even a repair shop (for props).
And all for the modest price of 93 euros that Sara and Joe paid for the accommodation reservation (which Airbnb will donate to charity). Of course, all the VIP experience of a day at the races – courtesy of Dorna – and seeing Marc up close is priceless. Joe and Sara would only need their idol to get on the podium. "It's quite difficult for him to achieve it," she admits, "but we hope that with the new bike he'll be back on top soon," hopes Sara, who at the time of taking the flight to Barcelona was unaware of Marc's discreet 19th place in the essays.
