monaco pics 3

So here it is - day 3, race day.

Let's crack straight in shall we with the establishing shots. These are where we sat on day 3:











For these next ones I'm actually hanging out over the side of the stand, which I can assure you I didn't really enjoy as I have a serious fear of heights:







Monaco is so small that there's not much room for, well, anything, really. So instead of the paddocks (where the teams 'live' being in the pits, they're a ways off to the side. These shots are aimed at the paddocks, but you can't really see them, as such:



This is actually the 'RED Bull experience'. Whether that means 'overly sweet with and with an unpleasant after-taste', I can't confirm.



Hubba-hubba:



The next lot of shots are all of the pits:





















We were actually facing 'the rock' from this stand:







Here's one of the support races with Porsches:



Note how the red and white thing is there to keep them in the race-track and not skip the corner. The curbs are not much of a deterrent at all for an ordinary road car:



And some GP2 action:



Note the red and white thing has gone now:



This is them wheeling the Red Bull into the garage. At most circuits they don't need to bother, because the paddocks are right there, but as mentioned, Monaco is so tiny they can't fit them in:





Before the race they have a pit walk about where people can wander around the pits. If you can see anyone famous, let me know:



And here's the driver's parade. See if you can spot anyone you recognise:



And here, finally, is some F1 race action:



Not that I took many photos during the actual race, because you're so focused on the racing, you forget to:



A Ferrari skipping the corner. They got told off for skipping this corner:



A pit stop. On telly, pit stops look quite smooth and well-oiled, but in real life they're barely controlled chaos:



And here was one of the more exciting events: Kovalainan crashed his car right next to us:











And that's pretty much it, really. Here's a shot of Button holding his trophy aloft as shown on the big screen:

monaco pics 2

So here's the photos for day 2 of our little excursion to the Monaco GP this last May.

Again, clicking the pics should take you to the full album to have a look through.

On day 2 we were in casino square. If you look at the photos yesterday there's one where I refer to the hill being really steep. Well, that hill leads up to casino square, which is where we were on day2.

There's only one stand up there and it has to be the most comfortable stand I've ever been in. The seats are moulded to a bucket/back-side shape and while that may sound uncomfortable, it's actually exactly the opposite. Unlike all the other days where I got a numb-bum and a slightly sore back, on day 2 I was fine.

The first shots are the establishers, then. Building on the right of Casino square:



Big crane, big screen, expensive casino:



Man with natty t-shirt distracts me from the point of the photo:



Over to the left of the stand. Quite empty at the mo, but it soon filled up:



Some close up now. First off the restaurant:



Next the big screen, which was unfortunately covered by the arm of the camera crane thing:



And a shot of the crane. Crane's are very important at Monaco as there's little in the way of run-off:



And the casino:



A side street to the right of the stand:



And this is the track. So that must mean it's time for some car action:



I've actually mixed these together - they're from both the morning practice session as well as the actual qualifying. From your point of view, I figure a shot of an F1 car is a shot of an F1 car :/.











So, halfway through the day was luncheon and this gives me an opportunity to show you the gardens that were out the back of the stand. I have to say it was incredibly civilised being in this stand. And no, shots of statue cocks was not my intention, it just happened to be the closest statue to where we crashed out over lunch.



In the afternoon was qualifying, so here's some more cars.





Of course, for qualifying, the crowds filled up. Here's some people on the balcony and in the restaurant. This is one of the things that gives Monaco the atmosphere it has.





Some more car action and then guess what happened?



Lewis Hamilton binned it just up the road from us. And here he is, walking back to the pits, helmet still on because he knows it was entirely his own fault:





And here's two more cars failing to crash like Lewis:





Overall, I'd probably say that day 2 was my favourite day (the actual race not withstanding).