Nov 24, 2011
Where did the time go? That seems to be the question everyone is asking as we prepare for battle in Brazil. Melbourne and the Australian Grand Prix do not seem that long ago, when we all set out on what has been a really long season. There’s a definite end of term feel to this higgledy piggledy paddock, where the lack of space means you can’t help bumping in to people, both literally and figuratively. The fact we are here slightly later in the year than usual means the Brazilian spring is already turning into summer: the sun is higher in the bluer sky and much hotter and, even better, the air seems much fresher. It doesn’t take much to get a Brazilian crowd excited, as they love their Formula 1 and this year they have three drivers to cheer on, Felipe Massa, Bruno Senna and Rubens Barrichello. The last of these three is not sure if he has a drive for next season, so people are talking to him as though he is coming to the end of his career. And what a career it is, dating back nineteen years to 1993 and his debut in South Africa when, as Massa pointed out in today’s FIA press conference, Rubens had more hair! The two friends then had quite a lengthy discussion about their relative hair loss, which it has to be said seemed to entertain the media more than talk of how they might get on this weekend.
Here in the Toro Rosso camp, we have a few additional tasks on our job sheet, mostly enjoyable ones such as this afternoon’s team photo in the pit lane and then Saturday night, the only day of the weekend where work ends at a reasonable time because of the parc ferme rules, we will all be heading to a Churascaria restaurant for a team dinner where everyone eats far too much meat. Once again, we will be working with three drivers this weekend, as Jean-Eric Vergne stands in for Sebastien Buemi in tomorrow morning’s first free practice session. The elephant in the room, or more correctly, the garage is our battle for seventh place in the Constructors’ Championship. It’s very close between us and Sauber so the tension will build all the way to Sunday afternoon’s chequered flag.
Credit: Scuderia Toro Rosso (www.scuderiatororosso.com)
No comments:
Post a Comment