JAKE HUMPHREY ON FORMULA ONE So, it is finally upon us. Seven months after getting the job, a week after packing my bags, and a day after we saw the cars on the track for the first time, the F1 season is finally upon us. I've really enjoyed my first Australian Grand Prix experience thus far. All the teams base themselves in temporary offices just a few feet from the back of the garages. Imagine a path running the length of the garages with the garage entrances to the left and on the right is grass running parallel to the pits. Each team has their own little section and engineers, PR people, various celebrities, photographers, journalists and of course drivers, sit around eating, drinking and chatting on the grass. It's a fantastic and open garden party atmosphere with the drivers really accessible - I can see why people talk about it as the perfect place to start the season. Since we arrived it's been a case of meeting lots of people, learning lots of things and essentially acting like the biggest sponge in the world. I've really enjoyed spending time with Eddie Jordan, he is totally hilarious. I sat down in the McLaren hospitality area (that raised a few eyebrows!) with him and David Coulthard for a chat through the script I'd written and it was an exercise in futility. I'd say every other person that entered the room wanted to grab EJ, give him a hug or take the mickey out of him. And those that didn't approach him wanted to speak to DC. I also find them fascinating. EJ's stories and gossip, David's dry humour and incredible knowledge of the sport. A good mix has been discovered I feel. I always thought when out on track together the cars would look much more elegant than we expected and much less ugly that people thought they would. Particularly the McLaren, it might not be as fast as the team hoped but in the flesh it's a real work of art. Enjoy the weekend, Jake Jake Humphrey presents BBC TV's coverage of the Formula One season starting in Melbourne for the Australian Grand Prix. |