Feature
Sebastian Fernandez takes us on a trip around his hometown of Caracas in Venezuela. We look at places to visit, sites to see, and of course, the motor racing scene.
WHERE IS YOUR HOMETOWN?
“I was born in Venezuela, in a place called Caracas and I lived there until I was 15. I grew up there, but I was travelling to Europe a lot from the age of nine – mostly in Italy. I was between Italy and Venezuela, but I would say that I grew up in Venezuela.
“Venezuela is very different to anywhere in Europe. For European people, it would be a very different place to live. If you are from South America, you more or less know what it is like.
“For me, it was the other way around. It was crazy when I came to Europe for the first time, like a different world. Caracas can be a rough place, I won’t lie, but it also has a lot of nice parts. For sure, I learned a lot of things there that I would not have learned if I had grown up in Europe.”
WHERE SHOULD TOURISTS VISIT?
“There are many beautiful places. The beaches there are crazy, they are really beautiful. We have an Island called Los Roques Archipelago, which is a beautiful place. The water is beautiful.
“We have mountains with snow, we have waterfalls, jungles and deserts. To be honest, it is a beautiful country and the people are very nice. The food and the parties are good to.”
WHERE SHOULD PEOPLE EAT AND DRINK?
“I would tell people to go to Los Roques, which is a safer part of the country. I really like to go there. I have been quite a few times and spent time on the beach and had some great food and drink.”
MOST IMPORTANTLY, WHERE CAN WE GO KARTING?
“Back in the day, like 10 years ago when I started racing, there were a few places to go karting, but there is not a lot of motorsport there. Motorsport is expensive and people are more interested in football and baseball - baseball is the main sport.
“We have a few tracks, but nothing compared to Europe. I originally started karting in Venezuela and then move more into South America in general.”