Yesterday I went by truck. Today I changed my strategy, that is, I took a ride with some relatives who came from the islands to see F1. I'll never go on a bike: I'm scared and a friend of mine did it yesterday and it went bad – he was still standing when the bike fell on him. This autumn thing doesn't just drop the leaves off the trees, I think.
Getting back to what matters. As I went (again) early, I didn't need to form the grid for the entrance. It was direct and so I was able to watch the training for changing wheels or, as it was on the program, 08:20-09:00: “pit stops” training.
Once again I was amazed! If the workshops worked like that… but maybe it wasn't a good idea. It's a fact that it takes three/four seconds to change the four wheels – but there are three mechanics for each wheel, plus a series of them around there, for a total of almost twenty people. With so many people, in a normal workshop, I don't know what the bill would be.
But there's one thing workshops should be looking at (and I think they're already looking): it even shines clean and tidy! As my grandmother would say, the floor could almost be licked.
But really those cars are very spoiled. The mechanics carry us in their laps and treat us with such care that I think they call the cars their boys in the end.
I must say that F1 has its own vocabulary. All those people, who know very well what they are doing, have a vest with their attributions: they are the “Grid Marshall”, the “Starter”, the “Scrutinater F1 Tire”, the “Pit Lane Marshall” and the most common “Security”, “Fireman” and “Medical Team”. I'm not even going to talk about the “Drive Throuth” signs and correlates, but it seems that racing was invented by the British. Maybe they even were, and that's how everyone understands each other.
The morning's free practice session was cut short because a Ferrari ran over a grid in the rain and the material could not hold up. It broke, which does not dignify the construction crew, and the incident delayed the start of qualifications.
In qualifications, everything is normal. In the last lap, Bottas had the best time, but Hamilton was close behind, flying low and doing better: 1m16.652s.
A final note: I don't want to be complaining, but there was a gentleman who slept during practice, with F1 snoring (a word never seemed so appropriate to me).
Author José Victorino is a Formula 1 fan
Help us to do the Sul Informação!
Contribute your donation so that we can continue to make your journal!
Click here to support us (Paypal)
Or use our IBAN PT50 0018 0003 38929600020 44
Comments