Monaco blog
Considering I was going to the Grand Prix 'on my own', I knew an awful lot of people who were going to be there.
When I'd booked my flights back in August I'd thought that flying out on the Wednesday would be early enough. However thanks to Twitter and the friends already in Monaco I'd found out that Michael had played at the charity football match on Tuesday night - I mean he hasn't played football in at least a couple of years! Typical!. Anyway as I left my house at 0415am on Wednesday morning I found it hard to comprehend that by lunchtime that day I'd be down by the F1 paddock!
I've got my routine down now. Early flight out of Bristol, bus to the station, check in to the hotel then the 1223 train to Monaco. Even on the bus from the airport my stomach started to churn and my hands were getting clammy with excitement. Once on the train I decided that there was no way I could keep Data roaming off my phone and to hell with the cost and managed to get on to F1.com to see who was doing the press conference. Yes! Michael was down to do it. At least I would know where he would be at one point this weekend.
I started wondering how long it would take me to see my first driver and who would it be but the first person I saw was actually one of the regulars I've got to know the past couple of years. Ed had been in Monaco since the previous Saturday and saw me just as I was goping down to the paddock. Apparently all the drivers were around so I took my first of many strolls around the outside of the paddock to see who I could see.
Officially the first driver I tweeted was Jenson but actually he wasn;t the first. I'd just past the Red Bull floaterhome when I caught the eye of someone coming up one of the jettys. At first I didn't twig as he wasnt; in team gear, just shorts and a t-shirt but as I watched him walk away, the blond hair and the tattoo on the arm - it was Kimi.
I walked on trying to decide if it was actually him and bang. Rob Smedley outside the Ferrari motorhome. I almost laughed out loud. That's Monaco for you! Walking round the other side of the paddock to pick up my Stars n Bars passes I saw Jenson. I'd been there what? 5 minutes?
Out of all the people I knew who were coming to Monaco, all had been there before except for Suzie and looking_spiffy aka Jade and I soon got a text from Suzie asking where I was. They were over by the pits so I directed them to the paddock. Cars are all well and good but when you can get this close to drivers.... First thing I decided to do was to take them on a circuit so they could get their stars n bars passes too and we managed to see Perez and Maldonado on the way. We got to Stars n Bars and they were just going through the door when for some reason I turned around and looked behind me and immediately called them back. Rob Smedley was stood just the other side of the fence. He was actually texting Felipe (bless) and then he came over and signed autographs. I think I said something stupid about the weather so I backed off at that point and Suzie and Jade got some photos. After that we needed a beer and I thought it was my duty to show the girls where to get the €2 beers from. Whilst we were sat having a beer Francesca appeared too. By this time it was time for the press conference so I went and waited for my first site of Michael. Way too many people around as he came out of the press conference but I managed to get some photos as he was talking to the journalists outside although I couldn't believe it when I saw one of the germans we've chatted to in previous years not only inside the paddock but getting a photo with Michael. That is the one thing I would love to have. Saw a few other drivers that afternoon but ended up drinking way too much beer. Had some food up in the town with Fran, Jade and Suzie and got the train back to Nice. I was just about sober enough to buy my train tickets for the rest of the weekend
When I'd booked my flights back in August I'd thought that flying out on the Wednesday would be early enough. However thanks to Twitter and the friends already in Monaco I'd found out that Michael had played at the charity football match on Tuesday night - I mean he hasn't played football in at least a couple of years! Typical!. Anyway as I left my house at 0415am on Wednesday morning I found it hard to comprehend that by lunchtime that day I'd be down by the F1 paddock!
I've got my routine down now. Early flight out of Bristol, bus to the station, check in to the hotel then the 1223 train to Monaco. Even on the bus from the airport my stomach started to churn and my hands were getting clammy with excitement. Once on the train I decided that there was no way I could keep Data roaming off my phone and to hell with the cost and managed to get on to F1.com to see who was doing the press conference. Yes! Michael was down to do it. At least I would know where he would be at one point this weekend.
I started wondering how long it would take me to see my first driver and who would it be but the first person I saw was actually one of the regulars I've got to know the past couple of years. Ed had been in Monaco since the previous Saturday and saw me just as I was goping down to the paddock. Apparently all the drivers were around so I took my first of many strolls around the outside of the paddock to see who I could see.
Officially the first driver I tweeted was Jenson but actually he wasn;t the first. I'd just past the Red Bull floaterhome when I caught the eye of someone coming up one of the jettys. At first I didn't twig as he wasnt; in team gear, just shorts and a t-shirt but as I watched him walk away, the blond hair and the tattoo on the arm - it was Kimi.
I walked on trying to decide if it was actually him and bang. Rob Smedley outside the Ferrari motorhome. I almost laughed out loud. That's Monaco for you! Walking round the other side of the paddock to pick up my Stars n Bars passes I saw Jenson. I'd been there what? 5 minutes?
Out of all the people I knew who were coming to Monaco, all had been there before except for Suzie and looking_spiffy aka Jade and I soon got a text from Suzie asking where I was. They were over by the pits so I directed them to the paddock. Cars are all well and good but when you can get this close to drivers.... First thing I decided to do was to take them on a circuit so they could get their stars n bars passes too and we managed to see Perez and Maldonado on the way. We got to Stars n Bars and they were just going through the door when for some reason I turned around and looked behind me and immediately called them back. Rob Smedley was stood just the other side of the fence. He was actually texting Felipe (bless) and then he came over and signed autographs. I think I said something stupid about the weather so I backed off at that point and Suzie and Jade got some photos. After that we needed a beer and I thought it was my duty to show the girls where to get the €2 beers from. Whilst we were sat having a beer Francesca appeared too. By this time it was time for the press conference so I went and waited for my first site of Michael. Way too many people around as he came out of the press conference but I managed to get some photos as he was talking to the journalists outside although I couldn't believe it when I saw one of the germans we've chatted to in previous years not only inside the paddock but getting a photo with Michael. That is the one thing I would love to have. Saw a few other drivers that afternoon but ended up drinking way too much beer. Had some food up in the town with Fran, Jade and Suzie and got the train back to Nice. I was just about sober enough to buy my train tickets for the rest of the weekend