LONDON GP - HYDE PARK: 13th JUNE 2006

Tuesday, the time had come. It's the first time since that hot and busy July day in 2004 that London would hear the sound of an F1 car being fired up in anger. The timing couldn't have been better. A squelchingly hot day before had brought the promise of cooler weather for the day itself, but it also bought something else, rain. Lots of it in the morning which meant a trudge to the bus-stop in a waterproof raincoat that was last worn in minus seven degree temperatures in Finland. By the time the bus had moved about three feet from it's stop in ten minutes, I knew it was going to be a rough day as far as the traveling was concerned. This was confirmed when arriving at the tube station only to find myself down a flight of stairs before being asked to evacuate the station due to a fire. Noooooooo!!!! So avoiding a smoky fuse box I jumped onto a train for a twenty minute trip into Liverpool Street rushing down to the Central Line, in the wrong place at the wrong time and quite late. Thankfully the Hyde Park recce party of our very own Mr. Pollack, or JP as I like to call him, had already told me that things were running late there too. I must be honest, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry when I was told to leave the Central line platform, due to, yes another fire. I looked around in case the Prodigy had decided to follow me around but as luck would have it a train arrived, I bundled on to it and hi-tailed it out of there. Next stop Hyde Park and no more firestarters!

As I walked up to the Intel venue, I could hear the noise of the throaty V8 being fired up, so I increased my pace to see the Intel complex shining in the now sunny warm morning. My timing couldn't have been better, I arrive and JV starts the Sauber and thrashes it down the straight (Click here for a movie, please be patient). Everyone around me is amazed, the sound, the smell, there is nothing quite like it.
JV returns, spins the car around and then, well I just couldn't help myself (Click here for another movie).
JV took it down Hyde Park again before getting out and talking to the press who had gathered around.
Jacques also decided to go walkabout, not for long mind you. Maybe it was the heat, maybe it was the fans, probably was the fact he'd just got married. Have you seen his wife?

At this point, in the distance I spot our very own JP, out of the heat in the hospitality tent, checking the latest Digital Spy forums whilst drinking tea!! Oh how the other half live. We meet up soon after along with his delightful friend Paula who continues the tradition of the terrific people I've met who originate from Holland. We wander over to the tents that house the simulators and Intel products that are the state of art in entertainment. Only problem, it might be state of the art but without air conditioning you don't have a chance. A tent in the sun with equipment all around it generates too much heat for us. So we sit on the grass and exchange stories of how we got interested in F1 and looking back at the good old days of F1D+. It was then we were pounced upon by an Intel marketing researcher who then asked us those all important questions such as "How do you think Intel is honest?" My God, have they developed laptops with emotions such as honesty? So we all tried to answer as honestly as possible, with a few funnies thrown in for good measure. It was after the researcher left that I spotted a Crew Pass on the ground, JP swipes it, hands it over to me and suggests we go back to the hospitality area. Good move!

We arrive in time to witness ITV's Martin Brundle lecture about technology and F1. Interesting stuff, his views make it sound like he should be in charge of the FIA, something JP mentions in the Q&A session. But alas Martin is not into the political side of things, he finds that live TV is the closest thing as far as an adrenalin rush is concerned to racing. After the lecture we all retired, with drinks, to the media tent. It was here that we all abused Intel's wi-fi links to the internet, in my case telling everybody whose e-mail addresses I could remember where I was and what I was drinking!

Martin Brundle did well today, not only was he involved with Intel's lecture, but he also commentated during the day and was on the track in his usual role talking with JV and Andy Priaulx, who just happened to be showing off his BMW WTCC car. Andy had a few stalling problems to start with, but he really got it going and was off down the track in a puff of tyre smoke. Andy was taking five lucky dip winning guests, up and down the 350 metre track. Backing up to one of the water filled plastic armco walls, he touched the side of the wall with his exhaust pipe, which was like a hot knife to butter. The result, a wall with two holes with water pouring out of it. The BMW was impressive, in fact Andy actually knackered it on the final run as smoke poured from the engine and vital fluids escaped. "Thats the first BMW I've broken in the four years I've driven for them" he told us. Martin Brundle at this point went to the crowd for a chat and some signings, but managed to avoid this chap whose tee-shirt could have either a) offended Mr. Brundle, or b)laughed out loud as we did.

Michael Patrizi, which I hope I got his name right, was in the Formula BMW which did a couple of runs, seemed very loud but was not really given many runs as he was out the same time as Priaulx
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JP and I chewed the fat a little longer whilst fending off lovely ladies (hang on there's more) who had some delightful nibbles to temp us with (now now). The duck and noodle on a biscuit was nice, although it was a one chomp job because if you tried to be polite, you ended up covered in duck juice, as I almost found out to my cost. And while I had to get a shot of JP by the Intel Towers, JP insisted I got on to the winners podium, well I had to get Senna onto the top level podium just one last time.

We hung around for the Jacques Villeneuve Q&A session but it didn't materialise, so we left for home, with the smell of rubber and oil still permeating through our nostrils. It was a fine day (even managed to get home without setting any more fire alarms off, and avoiding the flooding that followed as I walked through my front door thanks to the storm outside), nice to see some people you see on the TV week in, week out in the flesh (yes JV is that small) and meeting some new friends, JP you're a top man!

F1 - Gotta Love It!