First: That photo above is yours truly on his first even track day at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca - one of the first times ever through the famed corskscrew. Note the yellow shirt in the passenger seat courtesy of BMW CCA - I still remember this like it was yesterday (but it was 2006).
What we're going to focus on Day 1 is fairly simple - it's safety and confidence.
Back to my first track event - with many years of competition kart racing under my belt, you would think this should be an easy transition - but my nerves felt otherwise. So, I understand where you are in your journey. Luckily, I took the advice of friends and attended my first track event with the BMW CCA, and all drivers are provided with an in-car instructor. Whew. That helped!
If you're reading this article and you've never been on track, you have the option of having someone in your passenger seat the first time you go out. I highly recommend it.
The expectations for the first session are low - primarily, we want to take your stress level down so you can relax and focus.
Before you even go out, it's likely the event organizer will go over the flags, but even if they don't, we'll have a one-on-one conversation about that and some other topics. When we hit the track, I'll be showing you proper pit-out procedures - making sure to obey blend lines and where to watch for traffic that might be already on the hot track. I'll be pointing out flag stations - this should be a primary skill you build right off the bat is to subconsciously monitor all upcoming flag stations in your peripheral. A Yellow or Red flag is referencing a potential safety condition and missing one could not only put you in hot water with the event organizer or track staff, but worse, could involve you in an incident for which you were previously warned.
Flag stations are another component of a bigger skill we will continue to work on for this and all events we attend: Situational Awareness. On a race track, there are conditions that change every lap - whether it be debris on the surface, weather conditions or other vehicles; it's paramount that you always be scanning for things that are different than the lap prior because it will impact how you position the car on the track and handle the next couple corners.
Vision is a key skill required for Situational Awareness. We'll talk about keeping your eyes up and looking through corners versus fixating on the car in front of you or that mark on the track where you've chosen to begin braking. I'm still amazed at the number of driving issues that can be addressed by just being reminded to keep your eyes up. Yes, me included.
On your first day on track, the intent is that you'll be driving well within the limits of the car and your own skill level, this ensures we have a safety margin for when things don't go to plan. Experienced drivers may drive at 90+% of the capability of their cars, but they have the experience to see things starting to occur well beforehand so they can respond; as a new driver still trying to understand flag stations and passing etiquette, it's not expected for you to be able to perform at this level. You'll get there - but you won't get there on day 1.
I can almost guarantee that after your first track session, the fear and trepidation will be greatly reduced. You'll recognize that the race track is pretty much just like all the roads you've been driving all your life, with the added bonus that as you get more comfortable you can start pushing the limits of human and machine. There are other cars to navigate, but you're pretty used to doing this on normal roads as well.
By the end of the day, you'll realize the stress you felt working up to this event was very unnecessary. That way, next event, you'll get a really good nights sleep before the event and with your improved confidence you can focus even more attention on Situational Awareness and Driving Technique. Note that Driving Technique isn't a primary topic that we'll address on Day 1, it does come into play, but it really depends on a lot of factors; you'll have many future track events to start realizing your F1 dreams.
I cannot stress this enough - choose a track event organizer that provides you with some type of instruction (preferably passenger seat) for your first event. Imagine trying to do all those things above, all on your own; looking back, I certainly wouldn't want to take on that challenge.