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Published: April 2nd 2010
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After much deliberation this morning we finally decided to go to the Melbourne F1 Grand Prix. We’ve wanted to experience something of the Aussie’s passion for sport ever since we’ve been over. However, with the cricket season all but ended and Aussie rules just kicking off, opportunities have been very limited. It therefore seemed daft to pass up the chance to see a worldwide event so neatly handed to us on a plate!
For those not familiar with F1, race day consists of a whole days worth of different races with events culminating in the big F1 showdown. Jenny kindly drove us to the circuit as it was a relatively short distance from their house and as we arrived a Formula Ford event had just finished and they were preparing to race a bunch of Minis. We wandered around for a while looking for a reasonable viewpoint and eventually perched on a mound overlooking bends 10 and 11 on the circuit and opposite a giant TV screen relaying the live racing.
After the Mini’s, came three more races in various classes of car, interspersed with parade laps from various Aussie motorsport champions and
air shows from military display teams and Quantas. It all helped pass the time until the big race at 5pm. Excitement was heightened by the fact Mark Webber, from Australia, was second on the grid and in with a real shout of taking the chequered flag. However, things really didn’t go to plan for the home crowd from the start. Webber dropped back whilst his teammate Vettel led the early part of the race. He made several uncharacteristic mistakes, was lucky to survive a spin into the “cat litter” fought back with a couple of flashes of real class but then spent most of the second half of the race being completely out driven by Lewis Hamilton.
Gosh it was fun, the tension was palpable whenever a “Red Bull” car was in the action, especially the huge sigh of relief when they realised it was Webber’s colleague Vettel that spun out of the race and not their favourite. Oh, and the excuses when he inexplicably drove into the back of Hamilton with two laps to go - obviously, Lewis was a fault for breaking to hard!!!
Anyway, whilst the whole circuit seemed to be focussed on this battle
for 5th place, Jenson Button was quietly building a commanding lead that he never looked like relinquishing. Kubica drove the race of his life to keep at bay the two Ferraris of Massa and Alonso, and Michael Schumacher was made to look pretty ordinary by the whole field (a situation one feels might rapidly change.)
I’m sure the stadium would have been even more electric if the local boy had triumphed but it did feel good to cheer a British sporting triumph over our antipodean friends (there haven’t been too many over the years!) and to sing the national anthem! It wasn’t quite the Barmy Army’s rendition of “God Save Your Gracious Queen” but the Union flag was flying high. Well done Jenson, thanks Lewis, your drive was brilliant, and great to see Lotus back in F1 too.
So that was probably one of my more successful presents to John for his birthday - yes, I know it was a little early, but I couldn’t convince the Australians to delay the GP for a week! Unfortunately, we didn’t have a lot of time to organise what to take with us, we remembered water, blanket and umbrella (yes, we
needed it!), but we forgot to take the huge white sheet painted with huge red letters saying ‘g’day everyone at home, bet you wish you were here (especially Pete, Nathan and Bill!)’. We were on ‘the mound’ and did make an effort to wave at the camera, but you probably missed us. I’ve got to say that I found the whole thing really exciting - from having been able to sit on our blanket to watch the earlier races, I was a little put out to realise that I would be expected to STAND through the whole GP. It started, and the next thing I realised there were only 5 more laps to go and we’d been standing there for nearly 2 hours just riveted on the race. It’s hard to describe the feeling of speed that you get as they zip past ... and the noise just adds to the feeling of power. The atmosphere was electric, and I think both Button and Hamilton did a fantastic job - wonderful! (and I did congratulate myself on stopping John from making his comments about Webber’s prang with Hamilton too loud or too vocal, but I swear I’ve never heard him
sing our National Anthem as loudly as when Button was on the podium!!)
I have yet another little confession - I am now officially a member of the paparazzi! I was wandering around the stands looking to see if there was something I could buy for John as a reminder of his day (the T shirts were $45 and the caps were $50, so I picked up a free map of the course from the info booth) - a girl stopped me and asked me to take her photo with a chap - and when I looked it was Paul from Neighbours! OK, probably not the biggest star in the world, but I’ve got to say he was being very good natured as I watched him afterwards and so many people stopped him to do the same.
Lovely Jenny picked us up and took us home for dinner, and we had another evening chatting until late ... before going off to that lovely, lovely comfortable bed!
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