Why Melbourne?
This is what we were all waiting for! After a long, long winter, or a long hot summer if you live down under, finally the 2012 F1 season kicked off in Melbourne last weekend.
The land down under is far, far away and in order to bring it a bit closer to all of you I’m writing this little report. I hope you enjoy it.
@StephanieWeiser states ‘A German living in Melbourne’ what better combination could there be then a German and a F1 GP in town. Living in a city that stages a Grand Prix there is just no way I could ever miss it!
The first time I went in 2010 as a spectator with a 4 Day Grand Stand ticket. Last year I attended just the Sunday race through general admissions and was lucky enough to win a garage tour with Marussia Virgin
Racing. Geoff Collins showed us around and it was just unreal walking through the paddock and into the Marussia Virgin Racing garage.
Because I liked it so much last year I decided in 2012 I need to get closer to the action. I signed up with the Confederation of Australian Motor Sports to be a motor sport official. Volunteering at various motor sport events in Victoria throughout the last year I was lucky enough to have worked with the F1 Pit Chief and managed to be assigned to the Pit Lane and Grid team for this years AGP.
Besides my personal experiences I think Melbourne is a terrific GP as the season opener. Melbourne is a great city and if you don’t live here you can perfectly combine that with a trip around Australia or New Zealand. The
advantage for fans coming to Melbourne is that it is not as packed as the European races and if you hold a Grand Stand Ticket and know what place to be at what time it is really not that difficult to bump into team members or drivers and score good pictures or even an autograph.
Melbourne has it all, the sun, the blue sky, the torrential rain and the jet pack man!
The land down under is far, far away and in order to bring it a bit closer to all of you I’m writing this little report. I hope you enjoy it.
@StephanieWeiser states ‘A German living in Melbourne’ what better combination could there be then a German and a F1 GP in town. Living in a city that stages a Grand Prix there is just no way I could ever miss it!
The first time I went in 2010 as a spectator with a 4 Day Grand Stand ticket. Last year I attended just the Sunday race through general admissions and was lucky enough to win a garage tour with Marussia Virgin
Racing. Geoff Collins showed us around and it was just unreal walking through the paddock and into the Marussia Virgin Racing garage.
Because I liked it so much last year I decided in 2012 I need to get closer to the action. I signed up with the Confederation of Australian Motor Sports to be a motor sport official. Volunteering at various motor sport events in Victoria throughout the last year I was lucky enough to have worked with the F1 Pit Chief and managed to be assigned to the Pit Lane and Grid team for this years AGP.
Besides my personal experiences I think Melbourne is a terrific GP as the season opener. Melbourne is a great city and if you don’t live here you can perfectly combine that with a trip around Australia or New Zealand. The
advantage for fans coming to Melbourne is that it is not as packed as the European races and if you hold a Grand Stand Ticket and know what place to be at what time it is really not that difficult to bump into team members or drivers and score good pictures or even an autograph.
Melbourne has it all, the sun, the blue sky, the torrential rain and the jet pack man!
stephanies highlightsOver the past three AGPs there have been many, many highlights. From meeting all the drivers in 2010 when they were being interviewed at the channel OneHD stage to having a go at a pit stop tire change in the Vodafone tent. Certainly visiting the Marussia Virgin Racing Garage in 2011 was very special and then seeing my favorite driver taking the podium was just fantastic. Being so close, actually part of, the action as an official in 2012 is a mind blowing experience. Working in pit lane is nothing like a pit lane walk. It was great to be part of it, you get close to teams, drivers as well as journalists and it is just incredible to observe it all! I would say the highlight was standing on the pit wall next to RBR, watching Seb and Mark in FP1, 2, and 3. Cars go past and sometimes rev up right in front of you. THAT is an unbelievable feeling! Your whole body just starts shaking and you can’t do anything but enjoy the moment! |
who has stephanie met?
In the past three years I’ve met quite a lot of people.
In 2010 at the autograph stage alone I met Sebastien Buemi, Rubens Barrichello, Nico Hülkenberg, Jarno Trulli, Karun Chandhok, Jenson Button, Nico Rosberg, David Coulthard, Michael Schumacher, Fernando Alonso, Felipe Massa, Adrian Sutil, Adrian Newey, Christian Horner, Sebastian Vettel, Ross Brawn, Sir
Jackie Stewart, Sam Michaels, Timo Glock, Nick Heidfeld, Kamui Kobayashi, John Travolta, Lucas Di Grassi and Martin Whitmarsh many of whom I met again this year.
In 2010 at the autograph stage alone I met Sebastien Buemi, Rubens Barrichello, Nico Hülkenberg, Jarno Trulli, Karun Chandhok, Jenson Button, Nico Rosberg, David Coulthard, Michael Schumacher, Fernando Alonso, Felipe Massa, Adrian Sutil, Adrian Newey, Christian Horner, Sebastian Vettel, Ross Brawn, Sir
Jackie Stewart, Sam Michaels, Timo Glock, Nick Heidfeld, Kamui Kobayashi, John Travolta, Lucas Di Grassi and Martin Whitmarsh many of whom I met again this year.
When I won the garage tour with Virgin last year walking through the paddock alone I saw heaps and heaps of F1 legends, team crew and divers, however the paddock on a Sunday morning is not the place to run around like a crazy fan demanding photos or autographs, so I simply enjoyed the calm atmosphere and watched and observed. In 2012 I ran into Leny Kravitz during my lunch break on Wednesday. In the evening I went to a media event at St Kilda Beach and watched Seb and Mark play cricket at the beach. |
Being trackside Thursday to Sunday I saw several team principals, had a good chat to the McLaren Mechanics and of course saw all the drivers.
Being a marshal I also had the pleasure catching up with my friend from Korea who was the scrutineer for Charles Pic at the AGP and I met Vincenzo an Italian marshal who worked in Monza and Monaco.
Being a marshal I also had the pleasure catching up with my friend from Korea who was the scrutineer for Charles Pic at the AGP and I met Vincenzo an Italian marshal who worked in Monza and Monaco.
what about the costs?
In 2010 a 4 day grand stand GP Advantage ticket costs about AUD 350, which includes a pit lane and gird walk as well as exclusive access to the GP Advantage Bar. The Advantage tickets are early bird tickets and definitely worth it. You also get a whole lot of goodies such as a free event booklet, lanyards and stuff like that. So it’s definitely worth getting in early. A general admissions ticket for Sunday costs round about AUD80-AUD100 depending if you pre-purchase it.
And if you are participating as an official it costs a lot of energy, time and commitment! Sweat and potentially blood! But it is so worth it because you can hardly come closer to the action!
Flights form Europe to Melbourne vary from anything between EUR 900 to EUR 1600.
Accommodation in Melbourne can but must not be expensive. Your best bet would be to have a look on wotif.com.
And if you are participating as an official it costs a lot of energy, time and commitment! Sweat and potentially blood! But it is so worth it because you can hardly come closer to the action!
Flights form Europe to Melbourne vary from anything between EUR 900 to EUR 1600.
Accommodation in Melbourne can but must not be expensive. Your best bet would be to have a look on wotif.com.
top tips!
1. Check if there are early bird offers available
2. Check if the GP has an app be it android or iPhone, it helps to plan your GP weekend
3. Make sure to bring a radio device so you can tune in to the track commentary
4. For Melbourne in particular be prepared for extreme weather, although most of the time the weather is fine, Melbourne is known for extreme and fast weather changes, so always pack an umbrella and sunscreen.
5. Don’t forget that black or white marker in case you run into someone famous
6. Be sure to charge your camera and phone battery.
7. Follow your favorite driver or team on twitter so you know what they are up to, you never know you might be just around the corner from where they are!
Beware that…
The large screens in Melbourne are ok, but track commentary might not be sufficient to stay up to date. Twitter or a live timing app will help during the race.
2. Check if the GP has an app be it android or iPhone, it helps to plan your GP weekend
3. Make sure to bring a radio device so you can tune in to the track commentary
4. For Melbourne in particular be prepared for extreme weather, although most of the time the weather is fine, Melbourne is known for extreme and fast weather changes, so always pack an umbrella and sunscreen.
5. Don’t forget that black or white marker in case you run into someone famous
6. Be sure to charge your camera and phone battery.
7. Follow your favorite driver or team on twitter so you know what they are up to, you never know you might be just around the corner from where they are!
Beware that…
The large screens in Melbourne are ok, but track commentary might not be sufficient to stay up to date. Twitter or a live timing app will help during the race.