Friday 11 July 2014

We live in testing times (pt II), Donington Park, July, 2014.

We arrive at the circuit just before midday to find that the morning session is about to end in about 2.5 minutes! So it's a swift jog (puff-pant) through the paddock to The Melbourne Hairpin just in time to see Sebastien Buemi whine past in his e.dams car.
We're using the wrong camera with the wrong lens in the wrong part of the circuit but, hey, it's a record of our first sighting of a FIA Formula E car in action (as opposed to one in a static display) so what the hell.
We'll come back here later on to see if we can do a better job through the safety fencing. Well, we like a challenge.
The Pit Lane Walk isn't until 1:30 so, in the meantime, it's off to the Paddock Cafe for lunch.
It's 12:30-ish and there's already a queue for The Pit Lane Walk. Not as long as the one at Silverstone the other day but pretty long all the same. Given how many folk have turned up to watch the test The Pit lane Walk opens up at 1 rather than 1:30 and so we get a much longer Pit Walk. Nice one.
It's another busy Pit Lane Walk. Always a winner with the fans.
Michela Cerruti of the Trulli Team is interviewed by a giant-sized media-person.
On a crowded Pit Lane Walk the young, fit, agile, and generally supple, have a distinct advantage. Unfortunately, David is none of these things. He does have a height advantage tho', so fingers crossed.
Technicians (can we call them mechanics?) work on one of the Andretti cars.
Scott Speed and Frank Montagny of the Andretti Team posing for somebody else.
Team Mahindra garage.
Vicky meets Karun Chandhok and explains to him who the random fella with the camera is.
No eye contact between Jarno Trulli and his race technician. Hmmmm.
Craner Curves and The Old Hairpin.
If it was either 1984 or 1994 we would have been stood about here for the Monsters Of Rawk. 
But as it isn't, we're not.
It's just gone 2 o'clock and the afternoon session has begun.
Karun Chandhok whines and whistles his way down The Craner Curves in the Mahindra.
Nick Heidfeld in his Venturi Team car at Hollywood.
Just gone 3:15 and we're back at The Melbourne Hairpin prior to a fairly early departure in order to beat the inevitable rush hour traffic on the M42 south of Birmingham.
This is Katherine Legge in her Acuri, by the way.
An example of the noisiest things at Donington Park today.
What on earth are the residents of Castle Donington going to complain about now?


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