Aussie F1 GP 2010

Australian F1 GP 2010: My first Formula 1 race attendance, 2010 was certainly a learning curve and despite my best endeavours I had some difficulty photographically with the incredibly high fencing blocking most 'on track' photo opportunities, I made a mental note, this place was the total opposite of the Isle of Man TT course. It would appear the fencing has 'grown' over the years to such an extent that there is now nowhere to view from the outside of the track without said view being obscured 'by the mesh'.

A very tidy set of numbers attracted my attention at Australia's round of the 2010 F1 Championship and there is the matter of Sir Jack Brabham!!:

	60th Anniversary: The 60th anniversary year of Formula 1 and (cough), mine to!! The first F1 race was at Silverstone, May 13 1950.
	55th Anniversary: The 55th anniversary 'return' of the Mercedes 'Silver Arrows' Team to Formula 1.
	51st Anniversary: The 51st anniversary of Sir Jack Brabham's first Formula One Championship win, there appears to be considerable animosity between the Albert Park Organisers and Sir Jack, due to his '50th Anniversary win' being almost overlooked at the 2009 event, Sir Jack was invited at the last moment only to be told he would have to look after all his own air fares and accommodation. I am reliably informed Sir Jack and Lady Brabham did travel to Bahrain this year for the start of the '60th Formula 1 Season' and received the 'royal treatment' as a guest of the Grand Prix Officials. Sir Jack Brabham is the only driver to have won the Formula 1 World Championship in a car of his own construction and one of two Formula 1 drivers to be knighted, Sir Jackie Stewart is the other. Sadly Sir Jack Brabham did not attend Albert Park 2010, all the very best Jack and thankyou for the memories.
	30th Anniversary: The 30th anniversary of Alan Jones 1980 Formula One Championship win. Alan attended Albert Park and there was a three page spread in the race program describing his achievements of 1980, the very best Alan and thankyou for the memories.
	25th Anniversary: The 25th anniversary of Formula 1 racing in Australia!! The Adelaide street circuit hosted the event from 1985 to 1995 inclusive. All subsequent races have been held at Albert Park.

Whoa, hang on a moment, other than the race program which had a discrete F1/60th logo 'on the cover' there was to my knowledge NO 'purchasable mementos' available to Albert Park 2010 F1 fans in celebration of the above Anniversaries! There is something really wrong here, the Anniversaries, Sir Jack and Alan, it was a Promoters, Mercedes and Memorabilia Suppliers dream, then again, maybe its me. Of course it is worse, I asked many Stall attendants about F1 60th Anniversary memorabilia, with respect not one of some ten persons I asked had any idea what I was on about!!

THE SCHU: The return of the Mercedes 'Silver Arrows' Team, and the return of the Schu/Brawn partnership held a great attraction for me, an amazing thing happened. I attended the first practice morning, checked out the Mercedes Petronas Memorabilia Stand and then decided to head for the static car displays on the infield. A climb over the main straight footbridge was required, no, I had to wait for a car to drive slowly past me, the driver 'MICHAEL SCHUMACHER'!! Crikey even a somewhat royal wave was bestowed on me, stoked, yes, thankyou Michael!!


THE ROYAL WAVE	VERY COOL

THE FORMULA 1 RACE: Limited on track and some late afternoon 'evening' podium imagery...


#3: MICHAEL SCHUMACHER	#21: BRUNO SENNA


#8: FERNANDO ALONSO	#25: LUCAS DI GRASSI


DIGNITARIES AND 'FLAGGIE' JOHN TRAVOLTA	JENSON BUTTON 1st, ROBERT KUBICA 2nd AND FELIPE MASSA 3rd


JENSON BUTTON CELEBRATING THE WIN WITH HIS 'MUMM' - CHAMPAGNE			PODIUM

THE CHARACTERS: OK, I have watched a lot of television coverage of Formula 1 and witnessed some of the characters caught on camera dressed in support of their preferred team. Australian's certainly are not inhibited in any way at showing their allegiance. I must comment here about the fans I photographed, totally approachable, a fantastic group of people!


FERRARI FANS


ANOTHER FERRARI FAN!!	RED BULL FANS!!		THE FANATICS


CHEQUERED 'CAREER'	MERCEDES FANS, WOOHOO

THE COMPANY REPS: Wow, Formula 1 attracts a lot of 'Company Representatives', advertising all sorts of things....


QANTAS 'STAFF'	CLEANEVENT 'STAFF'


TAB SPORTSBET 'STAFF'	VODAFONE 'STAFF'

THE 'SILVER ARROWS' MERCEDES MUSEUM INTRODUCTION: A couple of www images taken inside the Mercedes Museum, Stuttgart. Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg attended the function with a 2010 Spec. Mercedes Petronas 'Silver Arrow'!

To be continued.............

I LOVE NEW TECHNOLOGY, TABLETS, LAPTOPS, DIGITAL CAMERAS, MOBILE PHONES/WIRELESS BROADBAND, GPS, ETC. ALL SO COOL AND 'PORTABLE'......