Formula 1 Sochi 2017

[msmob]

While Sveta rushes off to get the podium ceremony, I walk to the Press Conference Room - which is close to the 'Cool Down Room' where the top three drivers go - after being weighed - to take on water - and get their sponsors' caps.

I never understand why more press don't pour in for this moment - as the funniest driver comments  / behaviour - often come out

The entrance to Press Room at Sochi overlooks  'the pen' where the non podium drivers get interviewed by the world's press. The podium drivers go there after the post race press conference.

This GP -  the initial questions put to the drivers were being asked by BBC's Tom Clarkson. In the vid you'll see him rush to the PC -and a security girl belatedly try to stop him. ... she was trying to check his pass!

I follow him in and you'll see how empty the place is. The podium ceremony is taking place 20m away. If you aren't in within 5 mins of 'kickoff' the doors are locked.  I sit in the second row - as I'm only there to record Valtteri Bottas.



Two lasses from the press centre hold mics and Matteo - FOM - Formula 1 Management 's 'compere' - tells them which journo should get the mic to ask a question.

When the drivers come in - they first speak in their home language - and this being VB's first win ... it might have been interesting.

[msmob]

SC truly was a 'brick' indulging me as she did.  She spent the 4 GP days either on the beach - swimming in the still chilly Black Sea - doing aquarobics or - and this is HILARIOUS ... running around a track.

I watched the London Marathon and it inspired HER !!  She watched the closing stages of the Ladies race

I knew many people from the team at Sochi Autodrom from last year and - if anything- this year was better.

How many of us can say we stood on the winner's rostrum of a F1 race ?







This is the view of the podium from the press centre and the seats above and closer  - you can see it the bottom of the terrace - are where Bernie and VVP sit - on the finish line - opposite Bounder's seat in the Main Grandstand .







Having met Valtteri Bottas - in the flesh - thanks to my Finnish 'daughter'  - I can say I was really pleased he won his first race. He is a v.intelligent lad and a perfect replacement for Nico Rosberg - as an opposite to Lewis Hamilton in character. Seeing him handle difficult questions in the first press conference of the event  - before he started to blow Lewis away in most sessions- I knew he would surprise and had him down to beat Hamilton  - but not Seb Vettel.  In the press conference after qualifying - Bottas did say it was a long way to the first serious braking zone- a chance to get a tow - and overtake..we should have listened.

The staff at Sochi Autodrom are very young and diligent and one of their highlights was the visit of Jean Todt - who is the President of the FIA - the governing body of World Motorsport.

[msmob]

I made a 'goodbye' to Sochi vid and watched the race on my SKY TV sat receiver back in the UK using Slingplayer to control the TV in Sochi - using my mobile as the remote control !  My village in the UK finally got half decent internet - allowing a decent upload speed for one device .... Markje could handle 500 times more GRRRR

Jess - one of the Student volunteers at the Media Centre - who is the selfie-queen - having got one with just about everyone other than VVP ( she got one with Bernie Ecclestone) wanted to accompany me.

I make a habit of wearing  a bright pink shirt so  'me Ma' can tell her friends - "there's my boy, in Russia" and on viewing Ted Kravitz dissecting the race with Johnnie Herbert ( a former F1 driver) the bright pink shirt - plus bright blue glasses on top of head - was spotted  approaching with Jess.



The video is at http://vimeo.com/215904334#at=412 6mins 40 secs


Here's the good bye to Sochi vid as I leave the Press Centre and we see the kit being packed up



It was a pleasure to meet another board member and meet smart students from all over Russia and other EU nations - one of the volunteers works in Shanghai and comes back every year to help !

I met some F1 fans who camped out at the hotel to get autographs of the stars they'd missed at the track and hopefully introduced some new folk to the fan club.

SC ?  Well, she just worried that I would be eating too much food in the team's / media hospitality suites )

I arrived in Sochi weighing nearly 94 Kg - fattest ever - and am down to just over 89 this morning ... We have bikes and are cycling 10km a day / climbing mountains in 24-26C ...no chocolate biscuits  - just bee pollen and lots of tasty, healthy meals with loads of garlic and nuts.

It's only when I'm with SC that I find this 'motivation'

This weekend I'm helping out at the Russian Cup - a series of yacht races - for those who aren't considered good enough to be racing in the championships currently being held in La Rochelle, France ... I consider myself a useful helm - but all of these 'second raters' can blow me away   My Royal Yachting Association Powerboat qualifications have been deemed as good enough to help lay the courses as part of the crew in a powerful inflatable. 

[LAman]

Msmob.....please put the bottle down, at least for a little bit.

Seems you are having problems putting a post in right thread........


BTW- I do see you in a pink shirt with SC in background of vid !!!! Yes you are 'packing' a few pounds and I am NOT talking about $$$$.

[2tallbill]

Msmob.....please put the bottle down, at least for a little bit.

Seems you are having problems putting a post in right thread........


BTW- I do see you in a pink shirt with SC in background of vid !!!! Yes you are 'packing' a few pounds and I am NOT talking about $$$$.

That's definitely not SC, she skinny enough that she has to run around in the shower
just to get wet!

[msmob]

Thanks Beel ..

'LaMan' must be either bored or the true 'secret sauce' drinker - if he thinks Jess was SC... )

[LAman]

Thanks Beel ..

'LaMan' must be either bored or the true 'secret sauce' drinker - if he thinks Jess was SC... )

You can't take a joke, msmob???? :-))  Was it a coincidence 2 men wearing 'pink'??? Was it the Pink Ladies weekend in Sochi???

[msmob]

You can't take a joke, msmob???? :-)) 

You mean like a comment you made on one of SC's photos, once: " Was it cold when you took those photos?" ..   

Was it a coincidence 2 men wearing 'pink'??? Was it the Pink Ladies weekend in Sochi???

Ah, so you are 'one of those guys' who's worried about their sexuality?     

[msmob]

Spent half the day at the Yacht Club. The Hon.Commodore - who was a skipper of the only Soviet entry in the Whitbread Round the World Race in '89 had his leg amputated - since I last saw him to hear his stories. Boris - who is now in charge of maintaining the fleet of boats owned by Russian Railways - told me he had a good sense of humour about it ... So, the first question I asked on seeing him in a wheel-chair was, " Bog moi ! Bil bolshoi akula?"  My God, was it a big Shark ? ...  He roared with laughter and confirmed, " It was a Great White !"   Undeterred, he tips up every day - encouraging the Olympic hopefuls.

Boris had a signed poster of the first Olympic medal winner since Soviet times - Stephina Elfutina - a direct result of the Sochi training regime - in his workshop.




The Olympic Catamaran class - the Nacra 17 - has had a rule change and Boris - who is now responsible for ordering new craft had to order the hydro-foils requested by the rule change - 14,000 Euros    I have not seen a foiling Nacra in anger, yet ... but the std one's were flipping quick ...

Even if you aren't into sailing try and watch this video  ( pre foiling ) :



It is the Gold Medal race at Rio 2017 and 54 year old Cancer survivor, Santi Lange starts in Gold Medal position and takes TWO penalties during the race - must stop and do a 360 - before continuing. each time ....

In the afternoon SC demanded more cycling and we went to the town centre. We had a large credit card bill to settle and it falls during the 9th May Celebration bank hols - so we suddenly realised that a bank transfer from the UK might not arrive in time....   Panic ensued as I had to use 4 different cards to over-come the daily limit for cash withdrawals.  I thought we were screwed and would have to pay interest - then tried a card that SC has as a signatory on one of my accounts with paypal .... Although I had used my daily limit - it allowed her to draw on available funds .... Moral of the story ... you can never have enough cards when abroad ..

Then off to another bank - and we deposited the money into a bankomat (ATM) and got confirmation the account was cleared -  a day early and a msg to call into the bank as the limit was being increased )

We cycled out to the Ferry Terminal - which is large and modern - but, sadly underused .... there used to be car ferries to Ukraine, Turkey and Georgia..... all suspended   It is our dream to be able to take a ferry to Northern Turkey - and drive to our favourite- the  Lycian ( Emerald ) Coast of Turkey .... where the water is so clear - or even onwards to Cyprus

There is a newish shopping / leisure mini mall by the port and we stopped for fresh juices.




In my case, SC has cut my hair, I've got a tan and the weight is falling off.. 10km or more each day on the bike - involving plenty of carrying two bikes up flights up steps.




We ate out with some of the F1 team -  food was GREAT - Dom Restaurant - but the Russian attempts at Feta cheese in a Greek salad - are still more like soft sour cream blobs ) 

I was 'allowed' a Napolean cake !








 



 

[msmob]

Yesterday, there was no chance to watch the racing / lay courses. The weather was too windy and WET...One of our friends - Sergei -  had gone silent - after the GP and I was wondering why....  I had even thought him rude....

While I was having my nails done ( SC is fussy that my feet - which were awful - are maintained with anti-fungus treatments... This being a wet day - and socks weather - it was time for treatment ) we received a call to say Sergei had been admitted to hospital - having had a heart attack ..... He had been there for 7 days



Our wonderful neighbour - who cooks most of my meals ( SC being so 'talented' ) was off to N.Siberia - and dislikes planes - so I drove her to the railway station and she will be travelling 4.5 days !!!

I returned to collect SC and we went to look at some furniture and bought food in a large supermarket .....  SC prefers to buy her fruit and veg in a large market .  I wanted some MEAT ...  I miss the 'deli' selection when I'm back in the UK - 'risking' something new - as often as I can.  I suggested we buy Sergei grapes - but 'No' - SC pointed out EVERYONE would do that - so he got Fresh Mandarin Juice, Various fish and 'healthy' salads:)

Then, we went to the Hospital - which is largely modern - to visit him.

As with most shopping malls and public buildings - one is searched and then enter the hospital... As with most things Sochi - the signs are in English, too !



One has to pay 5 rubles for the blue shoe covers to be allowed access to the wards - which were spotless - even the older wings of the hospital were very clean.  MAJOR PLUS - Car parking is FREE

Unlike UK hospitals - which don't ask for the shoe covers - there were no alcohol hand sanitiser dispensers.


Sergei, had lost weight and showed us the healing wound in his wrist - used to route to his heart for surgery ! Many locals and I were surprised to see this less intrusive method of surgery was in use

We had bought Sergei the provisions - which he claimed he didn't need as the Canteen ( stolovaya) was so good !

On leaving, the rain that had been incessant all day had stopped  - the sun was out - as we headed home.

SC pronounced she wanted Beer - which is RARE and we bought 3 varieties of 'home made' beer from the local brewery.  I was judging who had designed the best program at a local computer class and I did not want to have alcohol on my breath even though I was cycling there.



SC chose the best flavour - knocked the beer like it was 'bad medicine' and within minutes I watched her eyes glaze over and she started giggling..

When I got home, she was drowsy and I was relieved to note the beer had been further sampled ...  0.5 litres and she was GONE )

Nearly 11 hours has passed and she is STILL sleeping ?!...


I am due to go to the Yacht club....  should I wake her up ..or just sneak out ?

[Boethius]

Let her sleep. If she's not a drinker a litre of beer is a lot. 😱

[msmob]

Let her sleep. If she's not a drinker a litre of beer is a lot. 😱

0,5 litres ! But she is tiny - so that is a lot

I woke her up and she is fine...  She would have been upset if she woke up and I hadn't wished her 'Good Morning'  She claims she has no idea why she craved beer - but I reckon she needed Vitamin B

[msmob]

In recent days 'we' ( Sochi residents)  have had Merkel, Erdogan and today the Palestinian leadership visit  (Abbas)  ...How do I know?

The traffic is stopped - for ages - to allow the convoy speed through the centre - rather than use the motorway / highway.

This is a Spetsial'nyy  proyezd (Специальный проезд) - literally Special Travel

As I cycled back from the Yacht Club I wondered why the road was clear of traffic and a Policeman waved his 'wand' to suggest I moved off the road onto the pavement / footpath

Whistles started and I stopped to see who it was ....  many cars sped south to toward the airport - one  Merc flying a flag I recognised as Arabic - the cars zoomed past at 60 MPH ( 90 Km/hr) or greater

Thank you Mr Abbas - I got home, really quickly